The suicide rate in Thai refugee camps has risen alarmingly, and is three times higher than in the general population, according to a recent study by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
The study, "Assessment of Suicide Risks and Factors in a Refugee Camp in Thailand", released by the IOM yesterday, found the rate rose from 2.31 people per 100,000 population in 2014 to 35.62 and 36.63 in 2015 and 2016 respectively.
The study was conducted from May 11-26 in a camp in Tak province, containing 38,224 refugees. Some 1,163 people, 71 of which were victims of suicide -- usually family members and individuals who attempted suicide -- took part in the study.
It involved examining circumstances and self-harm details.
The study compared the alarming rise in the refugee camp with the suicide rate of the Thai population in general, which according to the Ministry of Public Health in the last two years stood at 10.91 per 100,000 population in Tak province and 10.9 across the country. According to the World Health Organisation, the global rate stands at 10.7 per 100,000 for general population.
Thailand is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention. However, it has adopted an open-door policy accepting Myanmar refugees fleeing ethnic conflicts since the 1980s. Currently, around 100,000 refugees are staying in nine camps dotted along the Thai-Myanmar border.
Speaking yesterday in Bangkok, Dana Graber Ladek, head of mission of IOM Thailand, said traumatic events refugees have to endure adapting to a new culture, language and social experience help increase anxiety and pressure.
These factors likely lead them to harm themselves, she added.
According to the study, about 85% of those who killed themselves and 70% of those who attempted suicide experienced high levels of distress in the 12 months leading up to them trying to take their own lives, including sexual and gender-based violence, family conflict, as well as financial and medical problems, she said.