Lebanese artist's death sparks debate on suicide

One in four Lebanese individuals will suffer from mental illness in his/her lifetime. Every 2.5 days, one person commits suicide.

This week, 20-year-old business student, dancer and social activist Nourhan Hammoud ended her life, shocking her community in Lebanon, where she had many friends and fans. Her death not only only prompted grief and condolences, but also gave way to judgement and criticism, sparking intense debate among the Lebanese.

And it drew some much needed attention to the country's deficient mental health system.

Discussion about mental illness in Lebanese society is often hushed and ridiculed. It is widely viewed as trivial, temporary or self-healing, taking a backseat to political and economic turmoil that is a mainstay of the country.

Things are even worse for migrant domestic workers, who receive minimal protection from Lebanese authorities against widespread abuse. One domestic worker commits suicide in Lebanon each month, according to Think Progress .

"Our ad agencies make fun of anxiety. Our society makes fun of depression. We ridicule schizophrenia. We fear bipolars. We look at these people who are ill and call them “insane,” put them in a corner, chastise them, segregate them, drive them away instead of in," said  Elie Fares in his blog, State of Mind.

Moreover, the cost of psychiatric treatment in a place where purchasing power continues to plummet makes getting professional help a less than appealing option.

Luckily, organizations like Embrace  and Idraac  have worked to educate the public, raise awareness and break the stigma surrounding mental illness.

So while many of the comments made in discussions surrounding Nourhan's death were insensitive, we're glad that silence around the subject has been interrupted, if not broken, and hope that it helps to put the taboos around the subject to rest.

Here's a round-up of the discussion, as told by social media:

Embrace is working to install a suicide hotline in Lebanon . Its upcoming event is a 5 am memorial walk, so that people "wake up" to awareness about mental illness. The event takes place on September 10 in Raouche.