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| Army in Apatzingán Photo by: Gustavo Aguado |
Translated by Valor for Borderland Beat
The drug war in Mexico, initiated by the administration of Felipe Calderón Hinojosa, has caused an increase in the number of suicides in youth, said María Elena Medina Mora, head of the National Psychiatric Institute (INP) as part of the “Wounded Mexico Debate, the psychosocial effects of war”, and organized by the Faculty of Psychology at UNAM.
She reported that the exposure to violence, as a witness, victim, or participant in the events, has led to attempts and the execution of suicide, without having the ability to give them care, due to a lack of public policies in the country for this sector. According to the INP studies, 75% of suicides are caused by depression.
The psychologist noted that from 1990- 2010, homicide became the fourth leading cause of death among males aged 15-29 in Mexico, so it is extremely important to attend to the states and their populations that are close to war. “We still remain at a very high level when it comes to violence”, she stated.
She expressed that the appropriate authorities need to implement public policies in order to combat organized crime, however, she said that priority needs to be given to the youths and adolescents as they are most likely to fall into the trap of drug trafficking. In addition, due to their age, they are the most psychologically damaged, “protect them and give them attention”, she said.
A 2010 study, by Héctor Castillo Bertier, a sociologist and researcher at UNAM, announced that at least one million youths between 14 and 29 years old, are vulnerable to organized crime due to a lack of education and employment. The economic power of a narco is a big factor in convincing young people to join their ranks.
The sociologist also stated that the government is not interested in planning something to solve this problem that affects the entire country, “the State does not provide care for youths and adolescents, nor is it intended to do so”.
Source: Michoacán 3.0