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By AMANDA YONG
FEAR could have been what prompted them to commit suicide together. And fear could have led them to sniff glue before taking that fatal leap.
For Mernel Koh and Eddy Effendy, the decision to take their own lives could not have been easy.
That is probably why the two close friends met up to do the deed together, and probably why they inhaled glue to get a high before jumping off a block of flats.
Glue-sniffing itself was unlikely to have caused the two youths to jump to their deaths.
'Deaths from glue-sniffing are usually accidental - somebody missing his footing or an act of bravado,' said Dr Brian Yeo, a psychiatrist in private practice.
Mernel's suicide notes showed 'a sense of hopelessness and isolation' typically felt by teenagers contemplating suicide. 'But it was more of their own interpretation of the situation they were in and may not be the actual situation,' he said.
'It may not be that support was not there, that parents and teachers were not there, but it was what she felt (about her situation).' Sadly, Mernel was not the only youth who was driven to suicide last year.
Figures released by the Samaritans of Singapore (SOS), a suicide prevention and support group, showed that 12 people in the 10 to 19 age group took their lives last year - equivalent to one young life lost each month.
What runs through the mind of a young person contemplating suicide?
Ms Christine Wong, executive director of SOS, said suicidal thoughts and behaviours can start when individuals feel overwhelmed by certain stressful events in their lives.
'Hence, they conclude that suicide is the only way to stop the pain or escape from what they are experiencing,' she said.
But there ways to promote resilience, moderate the impact of stress and reduce the inclination towards suicide among the young.
Said Ms Wong: 'Positive resources and conditions such as strong social bonds, good physical and mental health, religious and spiritual beliefs can help.'
Helplines
Comcare helpline
1800-222-0000
Samaritans of Singapore
1800-221-4444 (24 hours)
Singapore Association For Mental Health
1800-283-7019
Care Corner Mandarin counselling hotline
1800-353-5800
This article was first published in The New Paper.
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