As the rate of suicide and suicide attempts has been on the rise in Jordan, the Public Security Department (PSD) set up a specialised prevention unit to serve as a suicide hotline, The Jordan Times reported Thursday (October 12th).
Speaking at a workshop at the Royal Police Academy on Wednesday, the PSD’s Criminal Information Administration Director, Col. Faisal Innab, said that 120 cases of suicide were recorded in 2016 and 104 cases during the first nine months of 2017.
Official figures also show that 486 suicide attempts were recorded in 2016, and 388 attempts by the end of the third quarter of 2017.
The suicide hotline is part of the Family Protection Department’s mission to deal with suicide attempts.
Trained officers will receive calls through 911 or the hotline number that will be announced soon, and connect the caller with a specialised psychiatrist, forensic doctor and the closest police station in a conference call, said Capt. Tareq Saaideh of the Family Protection Department.
The objective is to prevent suicides through providing psychological support, he said.
Most suicides and suicide attempts are committed in Amman, followed by Irbid and Karak, according to official figures.
Suicide attempts are more common among people between the ages of 18 and 27.
Suicides committed by non-Jordanians constituted around 17% of total cases in the first nine months of 2017, prominently by Syrian refugees.
