Caring for Yourself and Your Loved Ones

Public Seminar
Caring for Yourself
and Your Loved Ones
Strengthening Protective Factors
& Instilling Hope
Sedia Bersahabat
Wake up Call!!!
Mental Health Problems
• Adults: 11.2%
(High among women, groups aged 70-74, singles, widows,
divorcees)
• Children & teenagers: 19.4%
(High among ages 16-19)
Suicidal ideation: 6.4%
• High among groups aged 16-24
not married and unemployed
(NMHS 2006)
World Stats
Suicide
Resources - Global
• Approximately one
suicide each year
million people die from
• This amounts to one death every 40 seconds
900 lives every hour
• Predicted that by 2020 the rate of death will
increase to one every 20 seconds.
• Suicide is among the three leading causes of
death among those aged 15-44 years (both
sexes).
Source: World Health Organisation (WHO)
• Suicide attempts are up to 20 times number of
death by suicide, or one suicide attempt every 3
seconds.
• Estimated about 5% of persons attempt suicide at
least once in their life.
• Each suicide has a serious impact on at least six
other people.
• World Suicide Prevention Day:
10 September
• World Mental Health Day:
10 October
Malaysia
• MOH (2010) - In 10 to 15 years suicide will
emerge as the second highest cause of death in
Malaysia, after cardiovascular disease.
• a marked increase in suicides and attempted
suicides in the 16-25 age group.
• Prof Dr T. Maniam (UKM) in 2006 found about
13/100,000 suicides (eight in the 1980s)
Life is Precious
Befrienders KL,
friends for the despairing,
depressed and suicidal
The Befrienders
About Befrienders
• Formed to provide a free, confidential,
non-judgmental befriending
and emotional support
service for the depressed, despairing and suicidal
• Multi racial, non religious, non sectarian.
Available to everyone, regardless of creed, race,
religion, age or sex
• Initiated after May 13, 1969 incident.
• Founder Chairman: Dr David Muttu.
• Modelled after The Samaritans of UK
Established in 1953 by Dr Chad Varah
Founder of The Samaritans
or Befrienders
Anglican pastor Dr Chad Varah
Trained in counselling
Teenage girl in his
parish in despair
Committed suicide
Dr Varah opens a counselling service
The power of just being there…and listening
Rev Varah’s assistants chatting
over tea in the waiting room
was sufficient.
Those who came feeling
troubled, left feeling better…
…BEFORE seeing the
psychologist!
• 1970 - telephone service started.
- 5 hours/day, 5 days a week.
• 1974 - 24 hours daily service.
• 1979 - Own premises in PJ
• 1991 - International Conference on
‘Coping with Stress in the 90s’.
• 1995 - Suicide Prevention Week
• 1996 - Befrienders Int. Conf. in KL
• 1998 - Launched Outreach to highrisk groups.
• 2000 – National youth workshop –
‘Our Youth, Our Future’
2000
Befrienders Kuala Lumpur celebrates 30 years of service to
the community with the theme “Our Youth, Our Future”.
A Youth Forum and workshops were conducted on July 1,
officiated by Dato’ Hishamuddin bin Tun Hussein, Minister
of Youth and Sports.
Workshops and Seminars on life coping skills for youths
were held throughout the year.
2001 The 30th anniversary celebrations culminated with a
fundraising Dinner & Dance on August 25th.
2002
A Workshop on ‘Suicide & the Media’ was held in October
2003 Launch of Befrienders ‘Outreach – Suicide Prevention
In The Community’ on June 10.
Seminar on ‘Helping Students Cope With Stress’ was
held on 12th July attended by students from various
secondary
A Charity Carnival to raise funds was held on 14th
December.
2004 Malaysia’s 1st Suicide Prevention Month, jointly
organized by the Ministry of Health, UKM, UPM,
Malaysia Psychiatric Association, International
Association of Suicide Prevention and Befrienders KL
to promote a more integrated and comprehensive suicide
prevention work in the country.
Development of Services, Public Education, Outreach,
Volunteer Development (from 2001)
Networking with:
•
•
•
•
Ministry of Health
Welfare Department
Educational Institutions
NGOs
• Religious organisations
• Private Sector
• …and now Ministry of Women, Family and
Community Development.
About Befrienders
Befrienders in Malaysia (about 300 volunteers)
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Kuala Lumpur (1970) – 100 volunteers
Ipoh (1976)
Penang (1978)
Malacca (1991)
Johor Bahru (2006)
Seremban (2007)
Kota Kinabalu (2008)
Befrienders Worldwide
o Formed in 1974
o HQ in London
o 42 countries; 300 centres; 30,000 volunteers
Our Services
Befrienders Services - complimentary
• Telephone – 24 hours
• Face-to-face
• E-mail
• Outreach
• Public education
– talks, seminars, workshops
Outreach
Total no. of
contacts (call,
face-to-face) KL
in 2011:
Statistics
foremail,
Befrienders
- 2011
21,600
•
•
•
Gender:
Female Male -
(50-60 contacts per day)
62%
38%
20 and below
21 – 30
31 – 40
41 – 50
51 – 60
61 +
Problems:
Relationships - 24%
Psychiatric 17%
Family 12%
Sexual 9%
Job 8%
Marital 7%
Social difficulties - 7%
Age:
•
10%
23%
17%
12%
5%
2%
Suicide Ideation:
Calls
Emails
20%
33%
What Problems Can You Tell Us ?
Common Issues/Problems
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Loneliness
Anxiety
Illness
Addiction
Unwanted pregnancies
Complicated/broken
relationship
Student issues
•
•
•
•
•
Suicidal thoughts and
feelings
Psychological problems
Job difficulties/
unemployment
Marital troubles
Sexual difficulties
Helping People –
Befriending
skills
Essential Qualities of a helper
•
•
•
•
•
•
Warm and caring
Knowledgeable
Acceptance
Confidentiality
Empathetic
Trustworthy
Guide/Source: Carl Rogers
• Allow expression of
emotions
• Active listening
• Giving time
• ‘Being with’
• Empowerment / no advice
• No false hope
• Body language, facial
expression, sending signals,
voice (tone & pace)
About Befrienders
• You can share your innermost feelings without
fear or criticism or judgement, safe in the
knowledge that it will be kept confidential.
• In fact you needn’t even tell us your name. You
can just talk to us on the phone, email us, or meet
a Befriender face to face.
We are there when things are too much.
When no one cares and no one
listen.
You can tell any Befriender how you feel
and why everything is so bad.
Warning Signs
of Suicide intention
Warning Signs of
Serious Depression / Suicide Risk
1.
Feelings of hopelessness
2.
Expressions of wanting to end it all
3.
Depression over a long period
4.
Change in behavior, e.g. tension, sadness ,
anxiety, hyperactive
5.
Makes statements like “It’s my fault” or “I won’t
be around to face..”
6.
Great change in eating and sleeping habits
Warning Signs of
Serious Depression / Suicide Risk
7.
Giving away of precious possessions or making
final arrangements
8.
Feelings of withdrawal / aggressiveness
9.
Deep or prolonged grief over any loss – a death, a
parting, break-up of a relationship
10. Overwhelming guilt or self-hate
11. Physical complaints
12. Being accident-prone; or tries to cut or hurt
himself/herself
13. Alcohol or drug abuse
Life is Precious
‘When the world shuts you out,
we stay open’
7956 8145
www.befrienders.org.my