Report reveals alarming rise in suicide deaths in South Africa
A new report from Discovery Life reveals a concerning rise in suicide-related deaths in South Africa, particularly among older adults.
According to the insurer's 2024 Claims Experience report, published in April 2025, suicide accounted for 45% of all life claims among those aged 41 to 60.
Among individuals over the age of 50, suicide claims surged by 62% compared to the five-year average.
The report shows that across all age groups, suicide was the leading cause of death from unnatural causes in 2024, accounting for 35% of such claims.
This figure surpassed those from motor vehicle accidents (23%), crime (17%), trauma (10%) and other accidental causes (15%).
The data reflects a troubling trend, with most claims involving older men. However, the youngest claimant was a 35-year-old woman with a history of psychological illness. Mental health support remains inadequate
According to Mail&Guardian , Clinical psychologist Zamo Mbele said the rise in suicides reflects worsening mental illness, including depression, anxiety, psychotic and substance-use disorders.
He also pointed to the persistent lack of access to appropriate mental health care.
'There is still too little care and a great deal of stigma, so people do not seek help,' Mbele explained.
The Council for Medical Schemes estimates South Africa's suicide rate at 23.5 per 100 000 people in 2024 translating to around 14 000 deaths a year.
Mbele said mental health challenges are increasing in schools and the workplace.
In corporate environments, he noted that mental health responses are outdated and fail to address individual needs.
A 2023 survey by the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) found that 60% of employees wished they could afford to leave their jobs.
The study found that work was a major stressor across several sectors, including education, healthcare, government and finance.
Mbele said financial stress is a common factor behind suicidality in all age groups.
'The cost of living is higher, and for many, suicide becomes a perceived way out of financial distress,' he said.
While Discovery's figures mainly reflect a small segment of the population, those who can afford private insurance.
Mbele said they point to a broader issue affecting people across all income levels.
South Africa faces a critical shortage of trained mental health professionals. Studies show there is only one psychologist for every 100 000 people.
Mbele criticised the overall quality of mental health services in both the public and private sectors, saying many professionals lack adequate training.
'There's a high demand, but the quality of care and training is often poor,' he said.
According to the World Health Organisation, globally, suicide claims the lives of more than 720 000 people each year, and it is the third leading cause of death among those aged 15 to 29.
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1.
Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The South African
17-05-2025
- The South African
Report reveals alarming rise in suicide deaths in South Africa
A new report from Discovery Life reveals a concerning rise in suicide-related deaths in South Africa, particularly among older adults. According to the insurer's 2024 Claims Experience report, published in April 2025, suicide accounted for 45% of all life claims among those aged 41 to 60. Among individuals over the age of 50, suicide claims surged by 62% compared to the five-year average. The report shows that across all age groups, suicide was the leading cause of death from unnatural causes in 2024, accounting for 35% of such claims. This figure surpassed those from motor vehicle accidents (23%), crime (17%), trauma (10%) and other accidental causes (15%). The data reflects a troubling trend, with most claims involving older men. However, the youngest claimant was a 35-year-old woman with a history of psychological illness. Mental health support remains inadequate According to Mail&Guardian , Clinical psychologist Zamo Mbele said the rise in suicides reflects worsening mental illness, including depression, anxiety, psychotic and substance-use disorders. He also pointed to the persistent lack of access to appropriate mental health care. 'There is still too little care and a great deal of stigma, so people do not seek help,' Mbele explained. The Council for Medical Schemes estimates South Africa's suicide rate at 23.5 per 100 000 people in 2024 translating to around 14 000 deaths a year. Mbele said mental health challenges are increasing in schools and the workplace. In corporate environments, he noted that mental health responses are outdated and fail to address individual needs. A 2023 survey by the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) found that 60% of employees wished they could afford to leave their jobs. The study found that work was a major stressor across several sectors, including education, healthcare, government and finance. Mbele said financial stress is a common factor behind suicidality in all age groups. 'The cost of living is higher, and for many, suicide becomes a perceived way out of financial distress,' he said. While Discovery's figures mainly reflect a small segment of the population, those who can afford private insurance. Mbele said they point to a broader issue affecting people across all income levels. South Africa faces a critical shortage of trained mental health professionals. Studies show there is only one psychologist for every 100 000 people. Mbele criticised the overall quality of mental health services in both the public and private sectors, saying many professionals lack adequate training. 'There's a high demand, but the quality of care and training is often poor,' he said. According to the World Health Organisation, globally, suicide claims the lives of more than 720 000 people each year, and it is the third leading cause of death among those aged 15 to 29. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
Mail & Guardian
17-05-2025
- Mail & Guardian
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.
Daily Maverick
16-05-2025
- Daily Maverick
UK's proposed assisted dying law faces next parliamentary test
Lawmakers voted 330 to 275 in November in favour of allowing assisted dying, paving the way for Britain to follow other countries such as Australia, Canada and some U.S. states in what would be the biggest social reform in a generation. The bill, under which mentally competent, terminally ill adults in England and Wales with six months or less to live would be given the right to end their lives with medical help, has since come under intense scrutiny and has already been significantly revised. Lawmakers will get a final vote on the revised bill after what is likely to be a emotional debate given the sensitive subject matter. The high number of amendments — there are dozens — means the debate is likely to be continued next month. Opinion polls show that a majority of Britons back assisted dying and supporters say the law needs to catch up with public opinion. But some lawmakers have raised concerns over the proposed legislation's protections for vulnerable people. Others have said palliative care needs to be improved first. Both the Telegraph and Guardian newspapers reported that a growing number of lawmakers who had initially voted in favour of the bill are now planning to withdraw their support. Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour government is neutral on the bill, meaning politicians can vote according to their conscience rather than along party lines. The most significant change from the original bill is the removal of the need for court approval for an assisted death. Instead, a panel made up of a senior legal figure, a psychiatrist and a social worker would decide if an applicant is terminally ill and has the capacity to make the decision to end their own life. Any further amendments must be agreed separately by a vote. If Friday's session is deemed too short to consider the amendments, the legislation could return for further debate on June 13, before the crunch vote takes place. If it passes that vote, the legislation will be sent to the House of Lords, parliament's upper chamber, for further scrutiny. In 2015 British lawmakers rejected legalising assisted dying by a vote of 330 to 118. The legislation under consideration does not apply to Northern Ireland or Scotland. The Scottish parliament voted on Tuesday in favour of a similar bill, sending it for further legislative scrutiny.
