Hajj Mohammed Ali is at the heart of the wake, where he receives mourners expressing their condolences over the tragic death of his cousin's son. The young boy drowned in the Euphrates River in Nasiriyah, taking his own life upon learning of his failure in the ninth-grade exam.

Mohammed recalls the profound shock that enveloped the boy's family upon learning of his tragic end. They say the 15-year-old's response to news of his failure in the ninth-grade exam was entirely unexpected. He left the family home, and didn’t return overnight.

Despite frantic efforts by his parents to locate him, including contacting friends and local authorities, their search proved fruitless. The following day, they resorted to visiting the river police station, dreading the possibility of the worst outcome.

Two days later, they would find their son's lifeless body drifting near one of the bridges spanning the Euphrates River in Nasiriyah.

Hajj Mohammed maintains that the young man was not suffering from mental health issues, and had access to every form of support from his academic situation to his home life. There were no signs suggesting involvement with negative influences, substance abuse, or any other concerns.

This incident isn't isolated. Thi Qar Police reported another tragic case involving a 15-year-old girl in the northern part of the province, Al-Gharraf district. She took her own life by hanging herself with her veil from a ceiling fan, after learning she had failed mathematics, rendering her ineligible for final exam entry.

In May 2024, additional reports from Thi Qar Police shed light on yet another tragic suicide. A 24-year-old man was found dead inside his home in Nasiriyah.

Investigations revealed he had hanged himself in his room. The motive behind the suicide was linked to profound anguish stemming from the passing of his father nearly two years prior.

In the first quarter of 2024, human rights organizations in Thi Qar have reported a troubling surge, with over 30 suicides documented, a majority of whom are young people.

This concerning uptick highlights an escalating trend of youth suicide. Is it a burgeoning cultural phenomenon, or a drastic response to perceived rejection?

Ali Al-Nashi, the spokesperson for the Humanitarian Communication and Solidarity Organization tasked with monitoring suicide cases, explains that from 2016 until the conclusion of the initial quarter of 2024, there have been 603 reported suicides, averaging one suicide case every five days, predominantly among the youth.

Dr. Ibrahim Safaa Al-Saigh, Director of the Mental Health Office in Thi Qar, revealed to The New Region that the psychiatric clinic has observed a significant increase in patients. In 2022, there were 1,294 psychiatric patients, a number that rose to 1,308 in 2023. This rise extends to private clinics as well, despite the province having only four specialized psychiatrists.

Dakhel Abdul Hussein, Director of the Human Rights Office in Thi Qar claims the level of organized crime, particularly drug-related offenses, is partly responsible. Despite ongoing awareness campaigns, the situation is deteriorating markedly. In the first quarter of 2024 alone, there were 37 cases reported.

Uday Bujay, a sociology professor at the University of Thi Qar, pinpoints a significant factor contributing to suicide: the absence of a resilience culture among young people. He observes that many youths view life as a singular opportunity rather than a series of chances, influenced by social media and the perceived lifestyles of Iraq's leaders. Additionally, rampant corruption presents itself as a model to emulate, exacerbating the issue.

Uday Bujay further asserts that suicide often arises as a reaction to life's pressures. In the years leading up to 2003, societal layers were relatively homogeneous, lacking significant disparities. However, this landscape has dramatically shifted, necessitating interventions across social, institutional, educational, and familial spheres.

Amar Yasser, the chairman of the Human Rights Committee in Thi Qar Governorate Council, says that the council has placed a premium on addressing suicide cases. They've convened sessions with security leaders and mental health experts to delve into the root causes and devise strategies for mitigation.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has highlighted Iraq's expenditure on mental health, revealing that it amounts to less than 2% of the nation's healthcare budget. Alarmingly, there are merely nine mental health professionals per 100,000 individuals in Iraq, and two-thirds of these lack specialization. This underscores the dire scarcity of psychiatrists and therapists across the country.

In February of last year, Iraqi Health Minister Saleh Al-Hasnawi unveiled the National Suicide Prevention Strategy, marking Iraq as the second country in the Arab world to undertake such an initiative. The strategy engages multiple ministries, sectors, and non-governmental entities, including media outlets, religious institutions, and civil society organizations, all tasked with working collaboratively to combat suicide.

In a recent press statement, Saif Al-Badr, the official spokesperson for the Iraqi Ministry of Health, disclosed that between 2017 and 2022, excluding Kurdistan, there were 1908 reported cases of suicide. 20% of these cases involved individuals under the age of 18. Among the recorded cases, 43% were linked to psychological factors, 35% to familial issues, 15% to economic pressures, and 7% to miscellaneous reasons.

Al-Badr also highlighted that the prevalent methods employed in suicide attempts include hanging, burning, and firearms.