A silent killer stalks celebs

Two lives were lost through suicide this week. Designer Kate Spade was found hanging in her Manhattan apartment on June 5.

Three days later, chef and TV host Anthony Bourdain was found lifeless in his hotel room in France on June 8 in an apparent suicide.

Two lives in a week. Before their deaths, the first half of the year and the years before had seen other famous people who have claimed their lives.

The deaths of DJ Avicii last April and Linkin Park lead vocalist Chester Bennington in 2017 left the music world astounded.

On the other side of the globe, some of Korea’s beloved pop stars and drama actors also died by suicide.

Pop idol and Shinee’s Jonghyun’s farewell note said that he felt the crushing pressure from being a celebrity in South Korea.

Months after, reports said that the Sungkyunkwan Scandal actor Jeon Tae-su’s death was possibly by suicide. The actor had been receiving treatment for depression prior to his sudden death.

The Philippines does not have a long list of actors who were reported to have claimed their lives.

However, there were reports about shocking deaths involving young Filipinos. Actors Nonie and Shamaine Buencamino were grief-stricken when their teenage daughter and budding actress Julia Buencamino took her life after being found lifeless in their home on July 7, 2017.

Another suicide shook the country when University of the Philippines freshman Kristel Tejada drank a silver cleaner in March 15, 2013 after exhausting all efforts to continue her studies at the premier university.

The late Senator Miriam Santiago’s youngest son Alexander Robert Santiago took his life in 2003 after shooting himself in the neck inside their house.

Deaths by suicide involving famous celebrities or names oftentimes take the spotlight.

Reports have said that among the cause of suicide is stress or depression. Many of these names have been reported to suffer from depression or pressure from school or work.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that over 800,000 people die by suicide each year.

According to WHO, the main causes of suicide attempts are lovelife problems, family abuse, divorce or separation, loneliness, aging and gender issues.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released the Vital Signs report for this month.

The report stated that suicide is a leading cause in the United States. Suicide rates went up by more than 30 percent in half of the states since 1999.

Nearly 45,000 lives were lost to suicide in 2016. Fifty-four percent of the people who died by suicide did not have a known mental health condition.

South Korea’s figures have since declined in 2017, according to the annual statistics by the World Health Organization but the country still remains as the world’s 4th highest rate.

The figures reveal that Korea has a rate of 28.4 suicides per 100,000 population, the fourth-highest among the 183 countries surveyed.

The Philippines’ National Statistics Office records show that the local suicide rate went up from 0.46 to 7 for every 200,000 for men and 0.24 to 2 for every 200,000 for women from 1984 to 2005.

The Department of Health’s (DOH) National Center for Mental Health shared that the suicide rate in the Philippines is 2.5 for men and 1.7 for women per 100,000 population.

DOH recorded 2,413 suicide cases in 2016, 2,000 of which are male.

The US CDC stated that mental health conditions might be often seen as a cause of suicide, however, it stressed that suicide is rarely caused by any single factor. There are other problems that contribute to suicide such as those related to relationships, substance use, physical health and job, money, legal or housing stress.

Mental health awareness and suicide prevention advocates have long been working on connecting with people at risk of hurting or killing themselves.

Hollywood stars such as Rose McGowan, who mourned the death of Bourdain, reminded people to reach out and call a hotline if they needed help in a now-deleted tweet. McGowan considered Bourdain a champion for women empowerment as the late chef and TV personality were among the vocal ones who spoke against TV and movie producer Harvey Weinstein. Weinstein is at the center of sexual harrassment cases involving hundreds of women including Asia Argento, Bourdain’s girlfriend.

Most states in the United States have their own dedicated suicide hotlines. In the Philippines, the Department of Health has teamed up with the Natasha Goulbourn Foundation and Globe Telecommunications for Hopeline Project.

People can call Hopeline, available for 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It can reached via landline (02) 804-HOPE (4673), mobile phone at 0917-558-HOPE (4673) or by dialling 2919, a toll-free number for all Globe and TM subscribers.

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