Papar: Adolescent suicides are mostly impulsive and minimally planned, the Coroner's Court heard today during the inquest into 13-year-old student Zara Qairina Mahathir's death.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, consultant forensic psychiatrist Dr Chua Sze Hung, 43, from Hospital Mesra Bukit Padang, stated that adolescents experiencing psychological and physical isolation might resort to emotion-focused coping strategies, such as rumination, when encountering acute stressors.
Dr Chua elaborated that Zara could have been in a state of cognitive restriction, where she perceived ending her life as the only solution, unable to consider other alternatives. He provided this insight in response to questions from counsel Joan Goh, representing a student accused of bullying Zara Qairina.
As the 67th witness, Dr Chua highlighted that the adolescent prefrontal cortex is still neurobiologically underdeveloped, affecting functions like impulse control, inhibition, and decision-making. These functions can be further impaired by lack of sleep, acute stress, and other factors.
When questioned by Goh about whether adolescents with close maternal relationships would typically contact their mothers before such actions, Dr Chua explained that adolescent suicide differs from adult cases. While adult suicides often involve mental illnesses and substance abuse, adolescent suicides are linked to environmental stressors and interpersonal conflicts.
He emphasized that adolescent suicides can be impulsive, making actions like saying goodbye, giving away belongings, and writing notes less common.
In response to counsel Abdul Fikry Jaafar Abdullah, representing another accused student, Dr Chua disagreed with the notion that Zara Qairina's suicide could have been triggered by another factor besides the dormitory incident. He found no other trigger or destabilizing factor on the night or morning of the incident.
Dr Chua also noted that a family's difficulty in accepting the possibility of suicide does not invalidate forensic or psychological findings consistent with suicide.
Earlier, Dr Chua acknowledged to counsel Datuk Rizwandean M Borhan, representing Zara Qairina's mother, that this was his first psychological autopsy report.
Zara Qairina, 13, passed away on July 17 at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, following her admission after being found unconscious near a drain at her school hostel in Papar at 4 am. Her remains were exhumed for a post-mortem on Aug 8, and a formal inquest was announced on Aug 13. The inquest will resume from June 22 to 26.