Suicide Prevention Crisis Hotline in Puerto Vallarta Available 24/7 Martha Ramirez Ruiz - Vallarta Opina
go to original August 14, 2013

The Eighth Sanitary Region (La Octava Región Sanitaria) works hard to preserve life in Puerto Vallarta, where it is frequently reported that family problems lead to deprivation of life.

20 suicides have been reported in Puerto Vallarta so far this year, representing an increase of 66 percent compared to those reported in the first nine months of 2012, according to Epidemiological Information System (SIE) of Health Region VIII. 12 cases were reported until August of last year, eight fewer than those that occurred so far in 2013.

Although the official count of suicides is 18 deaths in Vallarta this year by the Comprehensive Mental Health Center (CISAMT) there have been an additional two recorded in the last five days with the latest on Sunday, thus, this number increased to 20.

In a comparison to cases that occurred in 2012 when there was a historical record with 27 cases, eight months and a half is 74 percent of those that occurred in the twelve months.

The discrepancy in figures disseminated by media takes place because there are cases in which the death occurs in health institutions, where seemingly the person was hospitalized for other causes and it is not until they get the autopsy to confirm the cause of death, so the real circumstances are not always public knowledge, explained the Director of the Comprehensive Mental Health Center (CISAME), Maria Jose Quijas Gomez.

However, it also affects all potential victims when there is an attempted suicide and this is not reported as such to the doctors assisting the potential suicide victim which prevents them from making an accurate diagnosis and therefore providing the specialized care and treatment needed, explained Gomez.

Family members of patients who receive medical attention after a failed suicide will occasionally hide the information because of fear, shame or not wanting to be judged by the actions of their troubled family member. In some cases, studies indicate that behind every completed suicide, there were at least three or sometimes up to 20 failed attempts.

This is confirmed by the incident on Sunday where a taxi driver hung himself in the Lomas de Coapinole region where previous reports referred to two previous attempts.

As in this case where there was a history of attempted suicide, the individual had resisted specialty care after the first two attempts.

And, often that "when the family arrived, they learned that the rat poison or drug was not enough, or that the slit wrists was not sufficient to accomplish the suicides," explained the Director of CISAME.

It was emphasized that we need to encourage the relatives of those who have attempted suicide to go to health institutions for information on how to act and especially recognize the red flags in the conduct of someone who may resort to suicide.

These are part of the services provided by the CISAME organization, located in Cempaxúchitl number 78 in the La Floresta Colony, and you can get more information by telephone at (322) 299-7022, or through the crisis hotline at 01 800 227-4747 or 227-4075.

Translated and edited by Team Angels