Mental health crisis in Panama: An urgent call for suicide prevention
Panama is facing a critical public health challenge after reporting 615 deaths by suicide between 2020 and 2024. Official data reflect a worrying trend, with a 73% increase in cases during this period, rising from 93 records in 2020 to 161 in 2024.
The problem shows a marked incidence in the male population, which represents 87% of the cases, specifically in the 20 to 24 age range. Meanwhile, the statistical analysis indicates that while men have an average age of 39 at the time of the event, women tend to be younger, with an average of 27 years.
Attention and risk factors
The Social Security Fund of Panama has recorded an unprecedented demand for its mental health services. In 2025 alone, more than 250,000 consultations were provided, of which 8,335 were related to suicidal risk behaviors and 6,881 to suicide attempts. In this category, women lead the care figures with 5,722 cases, compared to the 2,613 recorded in men.
- Predominant method: Hanging remains the primary means used.
- Environment: The victim’s home is identified as the most frequent setting.
- Motivations: Relationship problems, chronic illnesses, mental health conditions, and socioeconomic difficulties appear as the most common triggers.
The importance of changing the narrative
For any mental disorder, it is essential to receive professional care. The goal is to build a more empathetic community, where expressing emotional pain does not generate judgment and the silence that prevents seeking support is broken.
Jazmín Erika Cedeño Suman, head of the National Mental Health Program of the Social Security Fund.
In the framework of World Suicide Prevention Day, under the theme “Changing the narrative,” Panamanian authorities emphasize that stigma is the main barrier to treatment. Globally, although one in eight people suffers from a mental disorder, 75% do not receive the necessary help, which underscores the importance of facilitating timely access to specialized services.
Although Panama maintains a suicide mortality rate lower than the global average, the concentration of cases in provinces such as Los Santos, Veraguas, and Chiriquí, added to the sustained post-pandemic increase, has raised alarms among specialists, who urge the population not to leave anyone going through an emotional crisis alone.
