Suicide statistics are, in all likelihood, significantly underestimated, and this occurs for multiple reasons, ranging from governmental manipulations to the socio-cultural and psychological aspects surrounding the phenomenon. This underestimation includes not only direct suicides but also indirect suicides, which encompass self-destructive behaviors that are often overlooked or misinterpreted.
Governments, in an effort to maintain a positive public image or to avoid addressing the issue, often manipulate or alter suicide statistics. This has happened in the past with other societal issues, such as deaths related to HIV in the 1980s and 1990s, or the existence of LGBTQ communities denied by countries like Iran, where such realities are criminalized and censored.
Moreover, the social stigma surrounding suicide leads many families and authorities to classify these deaths as accidents, accidental overdoses, or natural causes. The fear of the Werther Effect—where media coverage of suicides could encourage imitative behavior—also pushes media outlets and authorities to downplay the numbers, further obscuring the reality.
However, there is an even more complex and often ignored aspect: indirect suicides. Many individuals overwhelmed by pain engage in self-destructive lifestyles that lead to death without committing an explicit act. Driving at extreme speeds, abusing drugs or alcohol, or deliberately exposing themselves to infectious diseases through high-risk sexual behaviors are all forms of self-destruction often classified as accidents or natural illnesses, but they represent a masked form of suicide.
These behaviors often stem from shame or fear of confronting a direct and definitive act. The phenomenon of missing persons adds another crucial dimension: millions of people go missing every year without a trace, and many of them may have chosen to end their lives far from the public eye.
When we combine all these realities—government manipulations, social stigma, indirect suicides, and missing persons—it becomes evident that the actual number of suicides is likely much higher than official estimates. Suicide is not only a visible act but a collection of behaviors and decisions reflecting a deep struggle with pain and despair. To truly address this issue, we must begin to recognize all its nuances and break the silence surrounding it.
