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Connectedness and Community:
The Missing Piece in Suicide Prevention

A person’s experiences are a result of the interaction between them and their environment. According to WHO data in 2016, the suicide rates (per 100 000 population), in India were 26.7 for the age group of 15 – 29 years. This implies that a large amount of our population loses their lives to suicide. Such high numbers make it crucial to examine the environment that may be perpetuating high distress. 

One of the major risk factors for suicidal ideation is isolation. Isolation can have several adverse impacts on a person’s mental and physical health. The parts of society that are most isolated and are at its margins have to bear its impact to a severe extent. It is much more difficult to access support when society doesn’t accept and further discriminates against certain sections. These sections could include people who belong to certain castes, sexual orientations, and gender identities. There is a constant fear of not being accepted, and a need to do as much as they can to feel accepted, making them more vulnerable to suicide. Yet, many mental health interventions can be isolating as they put the onus on the individual which might increase feelings of guilt and shame. This might further shrink the person’s community and world.

Even as early as Durkheim, who was one of the first researchers studying the social impact on mental health believed that the more socially integrated a person is, the less likely he or she is to consider suicide. A person is less likely to think about suicide when they possess a feeling of connection and belongingness to society and an understanding that life makes sense within the social context. Whereas, as social integration decreases, people are more likely to contemplate suicide. 

Social integration means that a person is a part of a group or a society in which everyone collectively puts effort to maintain close, caring and peaceful relationships. For example, a small group of friends or family members who have common life experiences or put effort to have peaceful interactions. Another example is a group of friends eating together, discussing movies, memes or talking about their daily lives. Several studies have also shown that connection to a community can be healing for those who have experienced trauma. The healing process of trauma includes finding our voice and being heard by a supportive community. 

Bill White, a clinical psychologist, and writer on trauma and addiction writes that “It takes a village to heal the wounded—and we have all been wounded; healing and wholeness require resources and relationships beyond the self and beyond closed social silos.” When we share our imperfections, flaws, and brokenness with our community, and see theirs as well, we see that we aren’t alone in our struggles.

A community’s acceptance of our brokenness and imperfections reduces the shame surrounding it and helps normalise it as a part of common humanity.

What can we as a community do to prevent suicide?

A country, workplace, university, school and family, each of these are communities for an individual. We can see the impact a person’s experiences within a community can have on them. 

  • Propagate Social Connections: Communities as a whole need to propagate social connections and prevent isolation. The government of a country or the managing body of a school/workplace must work towards decreasing divisiveness and exclusion. The second step then would be increasing integration within the community. 
  • Construct Inclusive Policies: The above can be done when the policies of the managing body/ government align with the idea of building a community that is inclusive of all. This means that the policies must benefit all sections of the community. There must be policies to protect marginalised parts of the community. 
  • Addressing discrimination: The policies must take an active stance to express that the community is inclusive and welcoming. This would help create a respectful environment for all. Secondly, there must be zero tolerance for any discrimination or divisive sentiments. There must be protocols to address and deal with any divisive statements or actions. 
  • Inclusive Community Culture: The community’s culture also must allow space for people to connect, make mistakes and be accepted. The method of working on oneself in communities is often blaming and threatening to a person’s existence. People are made to feel ashamed of their flaws, while we know that all humans are fallible. We can perpetuate a culture that allows space for people to participate in the process of self-healing and improvement, without being made to feel weak or ashamed.

Culture is carried forward and maintained from one generation to the next in a community through language. Language is the way we connect and communicate with each other. The words we use and the vocabulary a culture offers can be the carrier of acceptance or judgment. That makes each of us a carrier of the culture and leads to the question – “what can I do?”

What can I do? 

Individually, we can look around us and ensure that we in our conversations use language that creates a safe space for people in our lives.

  • Recognising the source of the problem: The first step of an intervention is to identify and recognise where the problem lies. And thus, it is important to acknowledge the social determinants of suicide. In the process of understanding mental health in a social context, we might often feel helpless. There is a larger system perpetuating isolation, and we might at times feel too small to do anything about it.
  • Open Conversations without Judgement: Each of us in the roles we play, as an employee, employer, student, teacher, parent, etc. is a part of someone’s community. As a part of someone’s community, we can create safe spaces for people to share their experiences without any judgment. A safe space could be a conversation with a group of people, or with one person. An alternative to this could be asking people around us about what would help create space for them to connect with trusted people in their lives.
  • Take the initiative: One way to create a space that fosters connection and belongingness could be by initiating a conversation. We could initiate a conversation to normalise seeking support and reduce the shame surrounding it. In these conversations it is important to listen to the person without interrupting, giving advice, or trying to fix things, unless the person asks for it. A space where people can speak with each other and not at or over each other. Begin by asking what can I do? That might sound like an easy question, however, it can be a difficult one to ask as we might not know how to respond to the answer that follows. We ourselves, can reach out to helplines or professionals in such situations.

  • Acceptance: The purpose of this is to be with and accept those vulnerable to suicide (and ourselves) while they experience emotions that may be considered socially unacceptable. It is also important to remember that caregiving might be challenging to do, and can bring up concern, worry, and anxiety. 
  • Self Care: While we consider creating an impact on others, it is also important to take care of our mental health. It is important to maintain boundaries while we are trying to be there for others, ensuring that we don’t feel overwhelmed. Yet again, you can seek support from your community in the case that happens!

By Naina Shahri

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