Greece records the biggest rise in suicide attempts throughout Europe, said Mrs. Bekiari, member of NGO “Klimaka” during her interview to SKAI Radio.
As pointed out by Mrs. Bekiari, 25% of the attempted suicides during the last year were ascribed to economic reasons.The suicide help line at “Klimaka”used to get four to ten calls a day, but “now there are days when we have up to 100,” says a psychologist there, Aris Violatzis.
According to the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT), 4.042 people killed themselves in Greece from 1999 to 2009. About 40% more Greeks killed themselves in the first five months of this year than in the same period last year, the Ministry of Health says.
Greece’s data, however, understates the incidence of suicide because it carries a strong stigma among Greeks with the Greek Church even forbidding their funeral in many cases.
Other European countries have shown a similar rise in suicidal attempts since the financial crisis began, according to a recent study published in the British medical journal “The Lancet”, which said “Greece is among the hardest hit”.
World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that the suicide rate in Greece is ten times higher and stresses that bad financial circumstances and unemployment could worsen the situation.
The 10th of September is established as the World Suicide Prevention Day and aims at promoting worldwide commitment and action to prevent suicides.
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