Nearly one in three Finns said they had experienced a pandemic that had adversely affected their mental health, while one in five revealed that they had ever had suicidal thoughts.
Marena Kukkonen, The director of the Suicide Prevention Center said MTV suicidal thoughts do not necessarily indicate that a person is in immediate danger of ending their life, but it is nevertheless important to identify and identify them.
Nearly 40 percent of those surveyed said they had not sought help for suicidal thoughts. According to Kukkonen, young people may have to wait for a referral to a psychiatrist for several months, and access to treatment may take even longer.
Long queues and growing demand for mental health care before the COVID-19 crisis, as well as the closure of peer support groups due to restrictions, have reportedly exacerbated the problem.
However, the study also showed that the willingness to seek help for mental health problems has increased significantly, especially among young adults. In addition, despite the increase in suicidal ideation, preliminary data suggest that the number of suicides has not increased during a pandemic.
If you or anyone you know has suicidal thoughts, you can contact Mind via their crisis phone (available in English and Arabic) and other services here.
Tahira Sequeira
Helsinki Times