In four years, 535 indigenous Brazilians took their own lives

Between 2019 and 2022, 535 indigenous people ended their own lives in Brazil. Most cases (208) were reported in Amazonas state. The data can be found in the report Violence Against Indigenous People in Brazil, published last week by the Indigenous Missionary Council (Cimi).

According to Jacyra Araújo, a psychiatrist and an associate researcher at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation who studies indigenous mental health, the issue is no novelty and is common among indigenous communities around the globe. The suicide rates in Amazonas are particularly concerning, she pointed out, and their roots are not easy to identify. However, the reality of conflicts in the region sheds some light on the matter.

“It’s safe to say there’s limited access to mental health treatment, partly due to a lack of perspective and assimilation of modern culture. We’ve seen a recent increase in suicide rates in Amazonas. Mining, some experts say, has brought insecurity and worsened the conflicts between indigenous and non-indigenous groups in the region. This is associated with the region’s poorer suicide indicators, as it brings instability, making mental disease more likely.”

Junior Yanomami, president of the Yanomami Urihi Association, underscored the area’s violent reality. He mentioned cases of young girls suffering from mental health issues due to repeated violence, such as rape, early pregnancies, abuse, and exploitation by invaders.

“A growing number of women have been experiencing violence, rape, and early pregnancies. Many young girls have become pregnant by gold miners and now have children with them. This is a serious psychological issue for the Yanomami girls. It’s a real problem.”

Last year alone, the document reveals, 115 suicides were recorded among indigenous people throughout Brazil. Anthropologist Lúcia Helena Rangel, one of the study organizers, named poverty and violence as the top drivers. However, she also attributes a significant portion of indigenous mental health issues to racism.

The 2021 Epidemiological Bulletin from the Health Ministry shows that the suicide rate among natives is four times higher than its non-indigenous counterpart.

The survey also raises an alarm about the prevalence of alcohol and other drugs in indigenous territories. This reality, the text argues, is an old mechanism used by colonizers to “control the indigenous people, facilitating unrestricted access to territories and enabling criminal activities.” On the other hand, such conditions lead to mental health concerns and make members of these communities more vulnerable to suicidal thoughts.