Bhutanese-Nepali Community Organizes the "Stop Suicide Project" (Feb. 28, 2015)

Consider this an update to the issue that I have brought up a few times here on this blog, most notably here:

The Bhutanese are Killing Themselves at an Alarming Rate
A Report on Suicide among Bhutanese-Nepali Refugees
Calling on the Bhutanese Refugee Community to Stop Killing Yourselves

I am thrilled to see that a number of key leaders in the US-based diaspora group have taken the initiative to speak out on suicide and have gone as far to organized a program in Akron, Ohio under the "Stop Suicide Project" banner and presented by the Menuka Memorial Foundation.  This is a worthy effort to raise awareness and open dialogue in a community that has suffered one of the highest suicide rates in the world.  I applaud especially the artist-leaders who have lent their talents and the organizational and leaders who have sought to bring mental health professionals into this event.

A couple issues that I'd like to highlight:

1. Akron is an excellent choice for this event as it represents one of the largest hubs for secondary resettlement among the Bhutanese in the USA and is a true weigh-station for Bhutanese travel from the Midwest to the East coast and vice versa.  Most Bhutanese east of the Mississippi have been through Akron at one point or another.  Of course, I hope that similar events will take place in many other cities as well.

2. One apparent omission is the involvement of spiritual leaders in the effort.  Hindu pundits, Christian pastors and Buddhist lamas should find this to be an issue of common ground.  It would be a very powerful message indeed to see pastor, pundit and lama joining hands to proclaim the holiness of life, the inherent evil of suicide, and to tell the community that it is good and acceptable (not shameful) to ask for help with emotional and mental difficulties.

If you are around the Akron area, don't miss this event. I, for one, really wish I could be there!

I'm Calling on the Bhutanese Refugee Community to Stop Killing Yourselves!

With now over 70 thousand Bhutanese refugees in the United States, the suicide rate among them remains staggeringly high.  A recent article published in the Wall Street Journal (India) called attention to this problem.

American Dream Becomes Nightmare for Bhutanese Refugees - India Real Time - WSJ:

A report by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, a federal U.S. government agency, published in Oct. 2012, stated that in the three years to Feb. 2012, the rate of suicides among Bhutanese refugees resettled in America was 20.3 per 100,000 people.

This rate was almost double that among the U.S. general population and exceeded the global suicide rate of 16.0 per 100,000, according to figures from the World Health Organization.

Now, I greatly appreciate contributing author, T.P. Mishra, continuing to raise awareness on this important issue.  However, practically every article I read on the topic seems to get lost in some confusing points.  Let me elaborate:

1. The title here (American dream becomes nightmare ...) is very misleading as it suggests that somehow coming to the United States has created a suicide crisis.  However, as the article itself points out, the suicide rate of these people in the refugee camps was as high as it is now.  Coming to America, hasn't resulted in more suicides.  It simply hasn't improved the situation.

2. These articles always end up talking about the pressures of resettlement including culture shock, employment stress, relationship problems, and other financial difficulties.  However, they usually fail to mention that these pressures are faced by practically every other refugee group entering the U.S. and the Bhutanese commit suicide as startlingly higher rates than other refugees.  That is to say, while resettlement-related issues may be cited in any given case, these alone cannot be blamed for the suicide as they are experienced by other peoples who do not commit suicide.

At the end of the day, the Bhutanese community must be willing to ask the really difficult questions about how suicide as a viable option for dealing with problems has become deeply embedded in the psyche of the people.  Every Bhutanese refugee that I know (over the age of 20) has personally seen one or more dead bodies hanging from trees in forests near their camps.  I have seen several Nepali-language films in which a main character commits suicide and in which this act is not condemned by the film but rather seen as somehow noble, good, or rational.  And there is an undercurrent of spiritual ideas which suggest that those who commit suicide can enter the realm of ancestors and even be worshiped as household deities.  This last idea is not what may be considered "mainstream" Hinduism/Buddhism/Christianity but is a subtly influential folk belief that may be responsible for giving people the idea that suicide is not an "escape" or an "end" but rather a means of rectifying problems (more on this idea in chapter 5 of my book Ethnographic Chicago).

I encourage the Bhutanese community leaders (now various kind of community organizations have formed in practically every city where Bhutanese refugees have been resettled), to adopt the following initiatives:

1. Reject an introverted and culturally isolationist posture towards Americans who want to help and other diaspora groups and instead welcome strong partnerships with others in seeking to solve this problem.  God has not created a world of isolated peoples cut off from one another but has created us for cross-pollination.  The Bhutanese will not solve this problem alone.

2. Seek to create community-based preventative counselling opportunities for those who have personally witnessed, attempted, or considered suicide (this will be almost everyone).  Get people talking about it honestly especially with experts who are trained not only in mental health but also in cultural anthropology.

3. Publicly reject and criticize any media (songs, films, etc) which portray suicide in anything other than a tragic and immoral light.  Call upon musicians and actors/actresses to condemn suicide publicly.  (Like performing artist Wilbur Sargunaraj recently did.)

4.  Hindu, Buddhist, and Christian spiritual leaders should engage together in interfaith dialog towards the development of a joint statement about suicide which can confront and condemn the folk beliefs which penetrate and influence EACH faith group.  Surely, the pundits, lamas, and pastors can all agree that suicide is a violation of God's will and desire for his children which are created in his image and endowed with great value.  Suicide is a violent act of murder which is sinful in God's eyes.  It is never the answer to the problems that we face in life.  Such as joint statement should also suggest concrete ways of dealing with stress and depression such as through spiritual disciplines of prayer, meditation and Scripture reading as well as through investing in important relationships and by seeking help from community and spiritual leaders, qualified volunteers and trained professionals.

[Photo by Mlhradio]

A Report on Suicide among Bhutanese Refugees

Photo by nahlinse

Here is a recent article reporting on a study conducted among Bhutanese-Nepalis on the topic of suicide.  Some of you will recall my post from earlier this year on this issue.  This article from Psychiatric Annals, says the suicide rate among the Bhutanese refugees is nearly double the US national average.

The article also provides a list of contributing factors, which is helpful. However, in my opinion, the big question remains as to why the suicide rate among Bhutanese refugees is so much higher than other refugee groups who experience so many of the same issues including poverty, PTSD, depression, identity loss, etc.  When I read the article, I want to ask the researchers what is unique about the Bhutanese!  In the end, the true answer may be something that this kind of research just can't get at.  I'm personally beginning to feel that there may be a "spirit of suicide and death" over the Bhutanese refugees - a kind of spiritual stronghold that needs to be broken.

Since I have readers from all kinds of backgrounds, I'm sure that will come off as very odd thing to say.  If that's how you feel, I welcome your thoughts one why suicide is so prevalent among these people - people I love so much.

Here's the article:

Suicidal ideation among refugees associated with resettlement issues | Psychiatry: "The annual suicide rate among those who had resettled in the US could be as high as 24.4 per 100,000, exceeding the estimated global suicide rate (16 per 100,000) and that among US residents (12.4 per 100,000)."

Bhutanese Refugees Are Killing Themselves at an Astonishing Rate!

Photo By lpk90901

A compelling article has just come out in the Atlantic regarding the tragically high suicide rate among Bhutanese-Nepali refugees.  I've been saying for a few years that this group has a higher suicide rate than most.  Now here are the hard facts:

Bhutanese Refugees Are Killing Themselves at an Astonishing Rate 
- Danielle Preiss - The Atlantic:
The study team confirmed the government's suspicions; the problem was endemic. The global suicide rate per 100,000 people--how suicide rates are calculated--is 16, and the rate for the general U.S. population is 12.4. The Bhutanese rate is much higher: 20.3 among U.S. resettled refugees and 20.7 among the refugee camp population. A handful of suicides were reported among other refugee groups during the same period as the CDC study, but nothing like the number among the Bhutanese.

Of course, the next question will be "WHY?" Of course, like most refugee groups, the Bhutanese struggle with poverty, depression, culture shock, and other issues.  However, these are not unique circumstances for them.  Why don't Somalis or Karen commit suicide as frequently?  Personally, I have noticed that suicide is especially prominent in the cultural narrative of the Bhutanese.  One has only to watch their films to see how frequently suicide is a theme.  Moreover, those who commit suicide in Nepali language films are not usually seen as having done something wrong.  Rather, they are tragic victims and even sometimes are viewed as somewhat courageous.  Outside of films, if you manage to observe any of the dialogue between young Bhutanese people (especially when romance is involved), you will see suicidal themes there as well.  A boy rejected by the girl he loves will very often threaten to kill himself.  A wife scolded by her husband might do the same.  The bottom line is that in the prevailing cultural narrative, suicide is an option. 

The Atlantic article brushes up against a key insight:

"Burmese, Somali and Iraqi refugees (the other three groups that top the list for recent refugee arrivals) also entered the U.S. during the downturn. These groups may have been protected by what Shetty describes as different 'cultural perspectives' on suicide. Of these groups, most are Muslim [Burmese refugees are a mix of Christian, Muslim, and Buddhist], except the mainly Hindu Bhutanese.  Though both Shetty and Subedi were careful to avoid saying suicide is accepted by Bhutanese culture or Hindu religion, Subedi explains it is tolerated more. 'For Bhutanese, suicide by hanging is a solution,' he says, explaining that for Somali refugees, Islamic prohibitions are effective deterrents. Hinduism is more ambiguous on the subject."

If you are one who cares for the Bhutanese refugee community in your city, please take a look at the linked article above and give it careful thought.  Pray for the Bhutanese people to recognize the sacredness and preciousness of life.  Pray that they will reject the idea that suicide is a valid response to life's problems.   Grace and Truth must become incarnated in every Bhutanese-Nepali community for this trend to be reversed.

Bhutanese refugees: American dream tantalizes, deceives | OregonLive.com

Here's another good article that I feel it is important for Americans to read. Often, I have found that American Christians who volunteer among Bhutanese-Nepalis have a sense that the new refugee families will have almost nothing but love for their new country. However, as this article points out, the American dream is deceptive. Many who arrive quickly and frequently find themselves wanting to return to Nepal.

Another important point that this article brings out is the issue of suicide. Suicide is a concept that is deeply ingrained in the Nepali mythic structure -- that is, in the stories of the people. Take some time to watch a few Nepali films and you will see that suicide is a prominent theme, not nearly as taboo as subject as it is in American culture. Bhutanese-Nepalis often speak of suicide, of wanting to "go away from this world." Christ-followers who desire to bear witness to Christ among the Bhutanese-Nepalis must be mindful of this and know how to respond.

Here's the article:

Bhutanese refugees: American dream tantalizes, deceives | OregonLive.com