The number of suicides in Flanders fell steadily for two decades, but 2022 brought an upward bend in the graphs. That year, 1,024 people took their own lives – 2.8 people per day. The trend break is entirely due to a striking increase in the number of suicides among women, by 18 percent compared to 2020. The downward trend continued among men, after a noticeable downward trend in 2021.
“It could be that this is a one-off fluctuation that will not continue in the coming years,” says Professor Gwendolyn Portzky, director of the Flemish Expertise Center for Suicide Prevention. “We hope so too. But we are still concerned, especially because this is a fairly significant increase.”
How do you explain that increase?
“This is in line with what we and international experts have feared since the start of the corona crisis. From day one of the pandemic we were asked: will this have an effect on suicide rates? Not in the short term, was the assessment. Everyone was in the same boat during the first lockdowns, there was a lot of social cohesion, it was a step back from the rat race. The suicide figures of 2020 and 2021 confirmed this. In 2021, we even saw a notable decline in the number of suicides. This also happened in the United States after 9/11. But we already knew then: the longer this pandemic lasts, the greater the impact on mental well-being will be.”
“Suicidal behavior does not manifest itself overnight. It increases gradually. The increase in the figures for 2022 is mainly seen in the first five months of the year, when the corona measures were on their last legs, but in the meantime new gloomy things were already emerging: the war in Ukraine, the energy crisis, financial concerns… We thought and hoped that we would enjoy freedom after the pandemic. The Roaring Twenties would return. It was anything but a party.”
This also applies to men. Why did suicide rates only increase among women?
“The pandemic had more negative consequences for them. They in particular were saddled with increasing care obligations, because daycare centers and schools, for example, remained closed, while their work continued as normal. There was also a higher risk of domestic violence due to the isolation. Moreover, we know from research that women are more vulnerable to depression and anxiety, because the impact of psychosocial stress – financial worries, concerns about the well-being of the children, etc. – is greater on them than on men. Women are also more likely to seek help when things are difficult, and that was not possible during the corona crisis.”
“Meanwhile, many more men still die from suicide than women, mainly because they are less likely to seek and receive help. They feel more like they have to solve it themselves. Corona had less impact on that.”
For the increase in suicides among young women – by 26 percent among 15 to 29 year olds – you also point to “increasing exposure to suicidal behavior via the internet and social media”.
“We see that suicides are becoming more discussed on social media, but not in a good, protective way. Care providers are increasingly talking to us about this. Young girls who self-harm, even exhibit suicidal behavior, film it and post the images on their social media. Rap music also increasingly contains lyrics that normalize suicidal behavior. That is not what we mean by ‘making it open for discussion’. We want people who are having a hard time to be able to talk about it more easily, but that is very different from presenting suicide through music and videos as the normal, logical way out when things get tough.”
Are the Flemish figures in line with those in other countries?
“In the Netherlands, there was an increase in the number of suicides among young people, but there was no general increase among women. The lockdown measures were also less strict and lasted for less time. In the United States they did see that general increase. Even more: they are looking at the highest number of suicides ever recorded, especially among women. That country is on a completely different track than we in Flanders. There is no federal prevention policy there, the states are responsible, and many do nothing at all. That shows how important good policy is, what difference it can make.”
What are the most important avenues that Flemish policy is currently pursuing?
“We are currently training and supporting care providers on how to detect suicidal thoughts, especially in young people, and how to talk to them about them. We are also developing an app to support young people with suicidal thoughts. We must be able to reach everyone, even those who do not seek professional help. Prevention cannot start early enough. And everyone can do their part, by paying attention to their own well-being and the well-being of those around us, by noticing signals and starting a conversation.”
Anyone with questions about suicide can contact Tele-Onthaal by telephone on the free number 106 or by calling the Suicide Line on number 1813 or online at tele-onthaal.be and suicide1813.be
