More people dying by suicide in South Africa
(Graphic: John McCann/M&G)
Deaths by suicide in South Africa are increasing, according to a recent report from Discovery Insurance, highlighting the need for better mental health services and greater awareness.
Life claims for suicide accounted for 45% for people aged from 41 to 60 years old, while the total claims due to suicide for individuals older than 50 increased by 62% in 2024, compared to the five-year average, according to the Discovery Life 2024 Claims Experience report, published in April.
Across all age groups, the largest component of death claims due to unnatural causes was attributed to suicide at 35%. This rate was higher than those for motor vehicle accidents (23%), crime (17%), trauma (10%) and other accidents (15%).
The claims were mostly for older men, but the youngest claimant was a 35-year-old woman who had psychological problems.
'More people are struggling with … mental illness, and some of them are more severe: depression, anxiety, psychotic disorders or substance-use disorders,' said Zamo Mbele, a clinical psychologist.
'I think the other issue is that there isn't enough access to support for those people. There still is, unfortunately, too little care, and [there's] stigma around, so people aren't presenting [themselves].'
According to the
Insufficient mental health services in schools and the corporate working environment are driving up mental illnesses, Mbele said.
'In the corporate working environments, their responses are exceptionally archaic, ineffective and just not speaking to the individual experience. While I want to say that there is a rise in suicides for male working professionals, the reality is that it has actually always been there,' Mbele said.
'Young professionals are struggling and suffering with poor mental health and mostly using substances to mask whatever kind of suffering, and silence their depression, and eventually having breakdowns.'
But he added that the increase in reported incidences could be attributed to more people coming forward.
A survey conducted by the
It said work emerged as a consistent stressor for many of those surveyed, regardless of their employment sector, which included education, health, non-profit organisations, finance, government, retail and media.
The survey said 52% of those questioned had been medically diagnosed with a mental health condition. The majority of these workers were depressed (32%), clinically stressed (25%), generally anxious (18%) and experiencing burnout (13%).
Financial stress is a common driver for suicide across all age groups in South Africa.
'The cost of living is higher … and that we know very well and we should always speak about the real cost of financial distress for a lot of people, and unfortunately, the consequence of that for a lot of those people is to imagine suicide,' Mbele said.
'People who are experiencing financial socio-economic difficulties are more likely to experience mental health difficulties.'
He noted that Discovery's claims for suicide covers a small portion of the population — mostly high-earning individuals who can afford private health insurance — but highlights that financial burdens cannot only be the biggest driver for mental health conditions.
'The problem is so entrenched — it's everywhere — it cuts across populations and there is a unique problem for the pressures and experiences for those who are seen as working that you wouldn't typically consider kind of candidates for suicidality,' said Mbele.
The high suicide rate among those over 50 could be the result of negligence, he added.
'That population probably ignored their mental health difficulties for many years and now the manifestation of it is undeniable. I think the older population didn't think about it at all and are therefore coming to untreated and unrecognised conditions.'
Globally, more than 720 000 people die due to suicide every year, and it is the third leading cause of death among 15 to 29-year-olds, according to the
The McKinsey Health Institute estimated that brain health disorders cost the global economy
In South Africa, Mbele said mental health services in both private and public facilities need to be improved, in a field characterised by poorly skilled practitioners and programmes and professionals that are not providing the right treatment.
Added to that, studies show there is only one psychologist for every 100 000 people in the country.
'Because it's such a high demand, the quality of the work gets impacted, and also just the quality of the training in psychiatry and for psychologists is poor,' Mbele said.
The claims for suicide paint a worrying picture of the underlying factors causing people to take their own lives in South Africa, said Maritha van der Walt, the chief medical officer at Discovery Life, adding that conditions such as depression and anxiety are treatable.
'There are many medications on the market, but it's got to be [with] a holistic approach, with psychological support, maybe occupational therapy and social support,' Van der Walt said.
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