When success hides silent despair

South Africans tend to believe that the most likely ways you will die in our violent, lawless country would be in a car crash, or at the hands of violent criminals.

Yet, just released data on life insurance payouts by Discovery Life shows that suicide is the biggest cause of unnatural deaths among its clients.

At the outset, it must be pointed out that the data relates to Discovery Life’s clients who, by virtue of having a life insurance policy, would probably be settled people in employment, so perhaps not representative of a broad cross-section of South Africans.

However, the mere fact that they are better off than many of their compatriots, yet still many of them feel they have no other way out of their predicaments or depression than to take their lives, is a sobering point to ponder.

Discovery Life says suicide is on the increase and that the group in which it is most prevalent are those people who should be in the prime of their lives … those between 41 and 60.

ALSO READ: Urging parents and teachers to address teen suicides

The company’s report attributes the increase in suicides in this group to financial problems the policy holders are experiencing.

That is a clear indication that our economy is in trouble… and it is probably going to get a lot worse as the impacts of US president Donald Trump’s war on global trade start to play out.

It is also a clear indication that many South Africans, including those who might be considered well-off, are getting themselves into a money hole which they cannot climb out of.

The latter emphasises the need for basic financial education, starting at school.

However, what the worrying rates of suicide also bring home is the need for better education for everyone about suicide – and especially the warning signs to look out for in your family and friends.

NOW READ: 7 426 teenagers attempted suicide in 9 months: DBE launches prevention campaign