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Published on September 10, 2007

Hospitals and temples in Lamphun have reduced the suicide rate with a project to help people facing problems in a province where more people take their own lives than anywhere else in Thailand.

Patcharee Kamchita, a forensic nurse at Mae Tha Hospital, said the project was started in 2002 by a group of monks in Mae Tha district and social networks comprising teachers, monks and police.

The project is called "Bindhabath Khwam Took" - or asking for sadness - and is based on the Buddhist practice of asking favours from monks.

People are invited to write down their problems and put the letters in monks' alms bowls at 34 temples and six monasteries in the province. They can remain anonymous if they wish.

Monks and civil groups collect all letters and raise the issues mentioned in the letters to a discussion panel in the hope of finding a way out for people facing big problems.

If the letter carries a name and address, monks will visit the writer's home and preach to them. Some problems can be a topic for preaching at Buddhist festivals.

Many villagers have debts with their village fund and do not have enough money for repayments. In such cases, monks and a community committee seek the best solution.

The rate of suicide in Lamphun has been the highest in the country every year since 2002. The most common reasons for suicide are economic hardship and family problems.

"Our community has been changing because of the economic situation. People feel alone in villages, so we are trying to bring our traditional way of life back to the community and look after each other," Patcharee said.

Since the project started, the suicide rate in Mae Tha district has decreased from 30 per 100,000 people in 2002-2003 to 14.48 in 2007, she said.

However, suicide is still

the main public health problem in Thailand. Currently, 4,500 to 5,000 per year take their own lives, compared with murders numbering 3,000 to 3,800.

And around 27,000 cases of self-harm are reported each year, some leading to death, according to a survey by the Department of Mental Health at the Public Health Ministry.

Today  is World Suicide Prevention Day, organised by the World Health Organisation to raise awareness of the problem.