Tamara Otzen, suicide expert: “You have to be sassy and ask again how you are”

Psychologist Tamara Otzen is an academic at the University of La Frontera, President of the Foundation for Suicide Prevention (OPA) and Deputy Director of the Millennium Nucleus of Sociomedicine. With more than twelve years of work in this field, he has focused his research on the study of mortality due to external causes, with particular attention to situations in which people threaten their own lives. Her interest in suicide and self-harm arose during trend analyses, where she observed a worrying increase in cases among women and young people. Surprisingly, suicide cases start at the age of five.

Recognizing the significant impact of these numbers, Otzen is committed to finding solutions so people can find support and help before making such serious decisions. Especially where she lives, in the Araucanía region, which exceeds the average suicide rate in Chile every year.

Last week she participated in the Congress of the Future, more precisely in the block of researchers to understand the world, and presented the figures and thoughts that she has collected over these years. “If technology is not put at the service of mental health, we will have difficulties,” believes the expert. And this is precisely what they want to do through OPA, by developing a center, a chatbot and an application to help people, especially young people, who need help.

“We realized during psychological autopsy interviews, carried out with the families and friends of people who committed suicide, that the majority did not have the supposed profile, but that on the contrary, many were athletes, or young people women, with small children. They all called for help explicitly, in different ways. They all said it clearly. They started with a loved one and when they get scared and tell them “that thought doesn’t “is not good”, the person feels sassy, ​​misunderstood and isolated. We need to raise awareness so that people respond with love and respect. We need to be sassy and ask again how you are, because that has been lost” , says the expert.

What is happening today with the culture and representation of suicide and mental health?

This is a subject that arouses media interest. There is something striking about suicide and, although it is positive that the media is tackling the subject, as we saw with the series Thirteen Reasons Why, in small communities, suicidal behavior tends to be romanticized and a contagion effect is created. We are currently seeing content where suicide is legitimized as an option or presented as a solution to problems. This has often happened to me with Korean series for example, where the protagonists attempt suicide before their destiny changes. Although this is not a phenomenon I have formally studied, I do observe it. I think we should ask young people how they perceive it. As adults, who perhaps don’t watch these types of series, we don’t realize to what extent young people are immersed in the theme of suicide. In discussions we realize that they touch on the topic of mental health a lot, but in practice they continue to share songs or related content. This is a risk factor, but now that it’s so present, it’s got my attention and I want to understand what perspective they’re giving them. When we come back in March to work in high schools, this will undoubtedly be something we will take into account.

Why does Araucanía exceed national suicide averages every year?

The factors are multiple, one of them is poverty, with high levels of unemployment and family situations in which children can hear expressions like “if you weren’t here, I wouldn’t have a economic problems. Sometimes a young man mentions that something in the house is out of stock, and the father’s response is a tired “wow, you saw it.”

This region has the largest number of people belonging to the Mapuche ethnic group, who face discrimination and prejudice that constantly tells them “you are different, you don’t belong.” All of these factors ultimately contribute to the problem. Additionally, on a biological level, reduced daylight hours are linked to higher rates of depression, directly linked to increased cases of suicide.

Also rural, where health services are very far away and people therefore feel isolated. The difficulty of accessing health services is notorious; Even if you manage to get there, they give you an appointment two months later, which means keeping your feelings of depression or your desire not to live in a small box.

What could be alternatives or improvements in the psychiatric care system to address the lack of support and belonging?

There is a whole web of factors related to support and belonging that are not covered. It is precisely on the government side that the campaign emphasizes that “you are not alone”, but among the cases studied, all were under psychiatric treatment and medication, and many sent more than 80 emails to their psychiatrists to warn them that they were going to harm themselves, but the psychiatrists did not work on Sundays. People seek help before ending their lives, they look for a reason or a sign to resist. There is also evidence that hospitalization is extremely toxic because it makes you feel more alone, more distant from your community, and when you leave you decide to end your life. The percentages of people who commit suicide after hospitalization are very high, so what’s the point if there are more psychiatric beds when people are left alone in a horrible room, feeling terrible, and once they leave, without support, people feel like shit. “Look what I put others through,” is the conclusion they can draw. And it can be fatal. There is a lack of social education on the subject.

How do you think social expectations contribute to increased suicide rates?

There is an important question related to expectations, namely the question “how do you imagine the future?” ”, which can be counterproductive. Suicide figures are most alarming in the new year, the time when we reflect on what we’ve done, evaluate our year, and contrast our ideal expectations with reality. At this point, expectations truly become a risk factor. The specific day that most people commit suicide is New Year, a time associated with celebrations. The numbers also increase in September, beyond spring, due to the many celebrations and birthdays during the second half of the year. The expectation of enjoying this vacation can create significant pressures. The question of how to organize these celebrations can be abhorrent to those who are suffering. When you look at social media and watch the holidays, you feel a pressure to connect to this apparent joy. The expectation of having these positive experiences, such as during 18th century celebrations or during holidays, can be detrimental to those who do not feel the same way. So, from September onwards, suicide rates increase. This month people start to feel that the year is ending, that they have not achieved their goals, that they are not on the right track, that their performance has not gone well. Society needs to ask itself to what extent it respects the fact that some people do not enjoy these celebrations and others are not clear about what they want to study.

What can we do as a society to help reduce suicides?

“We have a podcast called Suicidal chatter, where we address different aspects related to suicide. So far we have done two seasons, each starting on September 10, World Suicide Prevention Day. These are short episodes that will help you better understand this topic and be more receptive to identifying people who are potentially at risk, even if they do not directly express their desire to harm themselves. In the second season, we provide advice to educators and parents, offering practical suggestions in everyday language. We wanted to avoid technical aspects and focus on useful tips on how to approach and interact. Additionally, the World Health Organization offers free, certified, synchronously taught courses. These focus on psychological first aid and provide important tools for healthcare professionals and anyone interested in learning. Finally, we have a Networking Handbook that contains information on resources and service centers, especially useful in risky situations where a help phone number must be provided. Although our main focus is the Araucania region, most of these resources are accessible online, making them useful to everyone. In short, if you want to help your environment and learn more, I recommend listening to our podcast and taking these courses. They are designed to improve empathy and encourage the creation of supportive communities. Additionally, having solid mental health knowledge can make all the difference when it comes to helping those around you.