Anglican Bishop of Eastern Zambia, William Muchombo says there is need to enhance counseling to help prevent suicide which is on the increase in the region.
Bishop Mchombo says people are stressed in various ways due to economic and social issues which he said are affecting them in different ways.
He said in an interview with ZANIS in Chipata that there is need for psychiatric and trauma counseling which are important aspects that need to be provided to the people.
“If we do not have people who are trained in these areas of counseling it becomes difficult to even notice that people are stressed. So, only training will help curb against suicide which is on the increase in the region,” he said.
He noted that there is need for people who run churches to be well trained in counseling issues because people are bound to go into depression and in some cases may opt to commit suicide if they are not well counseled.
Bishop Mchombo also stressed the need for people to open up and seek services of good counselors from the church, hospital or Ministry of Education where there are counselors.
He said the church is better placed because it has a lot of members with different backgrounds, experiences and situations.
Last week, Eastern Province Police commissioner Luckson Sakala expressed concern with the increased reports of suicide which stood at 40 as at November 14.
In the light of modern psychology we are beginning to understand that prolonged depression does lead to mental illness and eventually suicide. Please do not condemn people who commit suicide and do not refuse them christian burials. Early detection and treatment of depression is the key…”Be compassionate as your Heavenly Father is.” Thank you ZP for the statistics and raising the concern! Sometimes you can be good buddies….