Thai cops' high suicide rates prompt reforms

SHOCKING statistics have revealed a high rate of suicide among the police in Thailand.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) ranked Thailand 32nd among 183 countries for suicide rates, which on average estimated that 14 out of 100,000 people killed themselves annually.

According to the Bangkok Post, 396 policemen took their own lives since 2008.

This was about 18 out of 100,000 policemen a year, said Pol Col Winai Thongchai, a psychologist at the Police General Hospital.

This has prompted top officers to focus on the Royal Thai Police’s working conditions and well-being of their subordinates.

National police chief Chakthip Chaijinda revealed that in the first nine months of this year, 19 cops took their own lives, and as a result, a special 12-member committee was created to address the issue.

Last month, he wrote to the heads of every department and division ordering them to follow up on the campaign to prevent their subordinates from committing suicide.

The campaign comprised three phases — identifying police officers who were vulnerable to suicidal ideation, creating a system to oversee mental and physical health as well as any debt problems they accumulated, and opening a special suicide prevention centre at the Police General Hospital.

According to a Royal Thai Police (RTP) study, most victims were officers with the ranks of sergeant major and senior sergeant major, who worked in crime suppression.

The study also found suicides usually occured among officers aged 25 and above with differing reasons such as personal problems and debt.

In their 50s, illnesses tended to be a bigger issue.

The breakdown of marriages caused by the limited time the officers could spend with their families due to their workload was also narrowed down as contributing factor.

“Work stress, family problems or even debts can drive cops to drink, asatactic to suppress problems. But with a gun in their hand, they can become depressed and snap,” said Pol Col Winai, who is also deputy chairman of the Thai Clinical Psychologist Association.

Police officers at supervisor and commander levels have been told to take better care of their subordinates as part of an urgent measure to put the brakes on the suicide rate to prevent the crisis from escalating.

The superiors are required to carry outthis directive by observing signs that may lead to suicides, including deep anxiety as well as problems involving families, work and debts.

Under this measure, each police station will set upapanel to promote better quality of life among police and their families.

The committee will be trained to work with hospitals and religious leaders to help combat the problem.

The Police Education Bureau and Royal Police Cadet Academy will be told to add financial management to the curriculum for prospective officers to prevent future debt problems.