Suicide Prevention Month Week 4
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), every year, 703,000 people die by suicide, and many more people attempt death by suicide. Every death by suicide is a tragedy that affects families, communities, and entire countries and has long-lasting effects on the people left behind. Death by suicide occurred throughout the lifespan and was the fourth leading cause of death among 15–29-year-olds globally in 2019. Death by suicide does not just occur in high-income countries but is a global phenomenon in all regions of the world. In fact, over 77% of global deaths by suicide occurred in low- and middle-income countries in 2019. Death by suicide is a serious public health problem; however, suicides can be prevented with timely, evidence-based, and often low-cost interventions.
While the link between suicide and mental disorders (in particular, depression and alcohol use disorders) is well established in high-income countries, many deaths by suicide happen impulsively in moments of crisis with a breakdown in the ability to deal with life stresses, such as financial problems, relationship break-up or chronic pain and illness. In addition, experiencing conflict, disaster, violence, abuse, or loss and a sense of isolation are strongly associated with suicidal behavior. According to the WHO, death by suicide rates are also high amongst vulnerable groups who experience discrimination, such as refugees and migrants, indigenous peoples, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex (LGBTI) persons, and prisoners. By far, the strongest risk factor for suicide is a previous suicide attempt.
The WHO has produced 2-page handouts for most settings (school, work, news media, etc.) on how to identify and help decrease the risk for suicide in the people in their influence. These are a great resource for your communities.
Here is a wonderful article that goes in depth about the myths around death by suicide and how to identify those at risk for family members and loved ones of the person contemplating death by suicide.
Thank you for all the work you continue to do to spread awareness of Suicide Prevention Month!
If you or someone you know is in need of a behavioral health placement, behavioral health referral, or experiencing a mental health emergency or crisis, please do not use this website. Instead, use these crisis resources to speak with someone now or access local support.