The increase in the number of suicides in Albania is attributed to economic and social factors. As their level continues to be three times higher than homicides, experts in the field of psychology are calling for building mechanisms to prevent suicidal behavior, which has a significant economic and social impact. 

Suicide is one of the most painful phenomena of society. In Albania, we continue to talk about high figures. INSTAT reported that the number of suicides in 2020 totaled 215, up from 216 a year earlier. The figures again speak for a considerable number, as well as a ratio 3 times higher than the murders in Albania (55 murders in 2020). 

Experts also recall cases where the phenomenon has remained tentative. According to them, attempts to take life last year had the highest level of the last three years, namely 129 reported cases and also, dozens of other unreported are thought. Suicides and suicide attempts have tremendous emotional damage to the families and friends of those who lost their lives, as well as to survivors of the efforts. But suicide has economic costs for individuals, families, communities, states, and the nation as a whole. These include medical costs for individuals and families, loss of income for families, and lost productivity for employers, by discouraged family, friends. 

Someone who has lost a loved one to suicide is considered a survivor. These individuals often experience strong and complex grief, which can be accompanied by feelings of guilt. Because of the stigma surrounding suicide, survivors may find it difficult to seek support or talk about their feelings. Further, suicide survivors have a higher risk of repeating this action. According to experts on psychological issues, the risk can be explained in part by family ties and genetic factors of mental illness, in the event of the death of a relative by suicide. Furthermore, environmental and community factors play a role in suicide risk, including living in a rural area, individuals who live near loved ones who lose their lives by suicide may face a higher risk because they are exposed to the same risk factors. Communities are also significantly affected when there is a death from suicide. In addition to the shock and grief that accompanies a death, there may also be groups of suicides, which means multiple suicides in a short period of time in that geographical area. Therefore, experts advise to be very careful with the media coverage of the phenomenon.

Effects of Covid-19 

Arjana Rreli, a psychiatrist, claims for "Monitor" that during the pandemic, stress, anxiety and then depression has been constantly increasing, factors that according to her lead to irreversible suicidal behavior. 

"Recall that last year, a strong stressor was added, that of COVID-19; in previous years have been the reasons of all time, the economic one is essential, as well as the conflicts within the family. 

There are also reasons such as migration, population movement, confrontation with a different mentality. This has brought conflicts, in terms of mentality in preserving the tradition and so Albanian girls have been put under pressure by the family "- says Mrs. Rare. According to the doctor, in suicidal behavior go people who refuse to be treated, or have family pressure not to accept the problem. 

"Those who seek help do not even commit suicide. The assistance provided is multidimensional. From counseling to medications that make their effect so that mental health does not deteriorate. And that has no side effects. A specialized help received in time minimizes this phenomenon so painful for the society "- concludes Mrs. Rare. 

Economic costs in the world 

There is also an economic cost associated with suicide, we refer to the medical cost and job loss. According to the CDC (Center for Disease Prevention and Control in the US), suicide and suicide attempts will cost society about $ 70 billion in 2018. The average cost of a single suicide is nearly $ 1.5 million. The assessment combines medical expenses and costs due to job loss. Suicide prevention programs, especially those that focus on building community resilience after a suicide, can help reduce economic and emotional costs. 

The costs of suicide behaviors - and the savings that can result from preventing these behaviors - can help convince policymakers and other stakeholders that suicide prevention is an investment that will save dollars as well as lives. One of the points mentioned is, undoubtedly, the absence of an individual in the labor market, which brings less payment in taxes and health and social insurance, beyond the awareness of losing a life. But, in Albania there is still no real study that correlates a suicide with the economic costs in society.

Albania, with the lowest number of suicides in the Region 

Despite the growing number of suicides, Albania has this phenomenon less widespread than the region. According to UN population data, the number of suicides in Serbia was 15.6 per 100,000 inhabitants, in Montenegro it was 10.3, in Bosnia 8.8. 

Globally, in 2018, Lithuania recorded the highest number of suicides with 31.9 per 100.000 inhabitants, followed by Russia with 31, Guyana with 29.2 and South Korea with 26.9 suicides per 100.000 inhabitants. 

Expert: Causes, economic and social 

Albanian society has lost its balance, leaving the individual at the mercy of fate, says sociologist Ergys Mërtiri. 

"Of course, suicides are mainly due to problems of a psychological nature and it is depression that brings the greatest number of them. But depression itself is a product of a society that does not solve problems and puts individuals under severe pressure. 

We can say that the causes of this situation are problems of economic, social and psychological nature. Altogether, many people show weaknesses, which make them unable to withstand the many pressures," he says. Martiri adds that a good portion of individuals who may commit suicide suffer from family problems, divorce, disagreement, lack of communication, or pressures at work and difficulty securing a living. 

"Another part, due to the impossibilities brought by the environment, suffer the perception of feeling unrealized, incompetent or losers. Albanian society is characterized by a high intensity of tensions, conflicts, numerous pressures, which often affect the loss of psychological balance. We are an extremely aggressive and not at all tolerant society, which significantly increases the daily loads. In the end, the lack of hope, in a society that is perceived as without a future, is often crucial in spreading despair to many people, which pushes them to be completely demoralized and unwilling to build a life "- says Mr. Martiri.

According to him, many researchers say that there are two major problems that modern life causes: Social loneliness and insecurity. To these can be added a number of problems related to lack of motivation, vanity, the frenzy of everyday life, stress at work, etc. 

"In modern societies, people are becoming more and more alien to each other, social ties have weakened, relatives have become distant, and the pandemic has had a tremendous impact on weakening social ties. It makes many people feel empty and meaningless in life. On the other hand, modernity creates societies which are in great and constant change. This leads to insecurity, which often leads to various anxieties and neuroses. 

The high numbers of divorces, tensions and domestic violence, or even socialization problems in it, show that the family is no longer a safe and warm haven for many people. This means that it fails to amortize external problems, and moreover, creates great, often dramatic problems for the individual. All these are present in the Albanian society, adding problems of economic and cultural destabilization, which in Albania are at levels many times higher than anywhere in the developed world "- he concludes.

(Source: Monitor)