Every year on September 10th, people around the world come together for World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD). This day is all about stopping suicide and helping those who are struggling. Let’s talk about what WSPD 2024 means and how we can all help.
The Big Idea for 2024: Changing How We Talk About Suicide Mental Health
For 2024-2026, the theme is “Changing the Narrative on Suicide.”[4] This means we want to change how people think and talk about suicide. The slogan is “Start the Conversation.” But what does this really mean?
- Breaking the silence: For a long time, people didn’t talk about suicide. It was seen as shameful. We want to change that and make it okay to talk about.
- Understanding better: Suicide is complicated. We want people to understand it better instead of judging.
- Helping communities: When we change how we talk about suicide, we make it easier for people to ask for help.
- Fixing wrong ideas: There are many myths about suicide. We want to replace these with real facts.
The idea of “Start the Conversation” is important. It means everyone can help prevent suicide, often by just talking to someone.
Suicide Around the World: The Big Picture
To understand why WSPD is so important, we need to look at some facts about suicide[1][2][3]:
- About 703,000 people die by suicide every year worldwide. That’s like one person every 45 seconds.
- Men are more likely to die by suicide than women.
- Young people are at risk too. Suicide is the fourth biggest cause of death for people aged 15-29.
- More than half of all suicide deaths happen before age 50.
These aren’t just numbers. Each one is a person who died, leaving behind family and friends who are hurting.
Suicide in South-East Asia: A Closer Look
In South-East Asia, over 200,000 people die by suicide each year[1][3]. This is a lot, and it shows we need to do more to help people in this part of the world.
Some reasons why suicide rates might be high here:
- Not enough mental health help: Many countries don’t have enough doctors and places to help people with mental health problems.
- People feeling ashamed: In some places, people think mental health problems are something to be ashamed of.
- Money problems: When people struggle with money, it can make mental health worse.
- Not knowing enough: Many people don’t know much about mental health or how to prevent suicide.
Understanding Suicide: What to Look Out For
To help prevent suicide, we need to know what might make someone think about it. Here are some things that can increase the risk[6]:
- Trying suicide before: This is the biggest risk for future suicide.
- Mental health problems: Things like depression or drinking too much alcohol can increase risk.
- Being in pain or sick for a long time
- Bad experiences: Like being in a war or disaster, or being hurt by someone.
- Feeling alone: When people feel cut off from others, it can make things worse.
- Big life changes: Like losing a job or a relationship ending.
It’s also important to know the warning signs. These might include:
- Talking about wanting to die
- Feeling hopeless
- Drinking more alcohol or taking drugs
- Staying away from friends and family
- Big mood swings
- Giving away things they love
If you see these signs, it doesn’t always mean someone is thinking about suicide. But it’s important to take them seriously and try to help.
How We Can All Help
Everyone can do something to help prevent suicide. Here’s how[5]:
- Be a good friend: Strong relationships can help protect against suicide.
- Learn about mental health: The more we know, the more we can help.
- Make it okay to talk: Create places where people feel safe talking about their feelings.
- Learn how to help: Take a course on how to help someone who might be thinking about suicide.
- Support people who have lost someone: Help those who have had someone die by suicide.
- Ask for better help: Tell your leaders we need better mental health services.
Remember, small things can make a big difference. Just checking on a friend or listening to someone can help a lot.
The Power of Talking
The call to “Start the Conversation” is really important. But why does talking help so much?
- It shows people they’re not alone: Many people thinking about suicide feel very alone.
- It can make people feel better: Just talking about feelings can help.
- It can lead to getting help: A conversation can be the first step to getting professional help.
- It fights shame: When we talk openly about mental health, it becomes less shameful.
- It teaches people: Conversations can share important information about mental health.
If you want to talk to someone about suicide, here are some tips:
- Find a quiet place to talk
- Be direct: It’s okay to ask someone if they’re thinking about suicide.
- Listen without judging
- Show you care
- Get help if someone is in danger
- Offer hope: Remind them that help is available.
- Check in later: Keep in touch after your talk.
New Ways to Prevent Suicide
People are coming up with new ideas to help prevent suicide[6]:
- Online help: Websites and apps that offer mental health support.
- Making it harder to access ways of suicide: Like making it harder to get guns or dangerous chemicals.
- Help after a suicide: Programs to support people after someone has died by suicide.
- Mental health at work: More companies are helping their workers with mental health.
- School programs: Teaching kids how to handle emotions and stress.
- Adapting to different cultures: Making sure help works for different communities.
How Laws Can Help
Big changes in laws can also help prevent suicide. Some important areas are:
- Making mental health care easier to get
- Having national plans to prevent suicide
- Making it harder to access ways of suicide
- Teaching the media how to report on suicide safely
- Teaching about mental health in schools
- Making workplaces better for mental health
Challenges We Face
Even though we’re making progress, there are still big challenges:
- Shame: Many people still feel ashamed about mental health problems.
- Not enough help: Many places don’t have enough mental health services.
- Not enough information: It’s hard to get good information about suicide in some places.
- It’s complicated: There are many reasons why someone might think about suicide.
- Hard to reach some groups: It can be hard to help older people or some minority groups.
- Legal problems: In some countries, suicide is still against the law.
Hope for the Future
Even though preventing suicide is hard, there are reasons to be hopeful. Fewer people are dying by suicide in many places. Here are some good things happening:
- More people know about mental health now
- Better treatments are available
- The whole world is working on this problem
- New technology is helping
- People who have been through it are helping others
What You Can Do
Everyone can help prevent suicide. Here are some things you can do:
- Learn more: Find out about the signs of suicide and how to help.
- Be there for others: Reach out to friends who might be struggling.
- Share helpful information: Tell people about crisis helplines and other resources.
- Speak up: Support laws and programs that help mental health.
- Join in: Take part in World Suicide Prevention Day events.
- Take care of yourself: Look after your own mental health too.
- Fight shame: Talk openly about mental health to help others feel it’s okay.
- Support organizations: Give money or time to groups working to prevent suicide.
Wrapping Up: Let’s Act Together
World Suicide Prevention Day 2024 is more than just one day. It’s a call for all of us to help prevent suicide and support those who are struggling. By changing how we talk about suicide, starting conversations, and taking action, we can save lives.
Remember, every conversation matters, every action helps, and every life is important. As we get closer to September 10th, let’s all do our part. Together, we can build a world where everyone feels supported and hopeful, even in their darkest times.
The conversation starts with you. Let’s make a difference this World Suicide Prevention Day.
References:
- Karamo NM Sonko, and Mariama Sonko. Demystifying Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG). Springer Nature, 2023, www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240026643.
- “Global Suicide Statistics – IASP.” IASP, 23 May 2023, www.iasp.info/wspd/references/.
- World. “Suicide.” Who.int, World Health Organization: WHO, 29 Aug. 2024, www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/suicide.
- World. “World Suicide Prevention Day.” Who.int, World Health Organization: WHO, 10 Sept. 2024, www.who.int/southeastasia/news/detail/10-09-2024-world-suicide-prevention-day.
- Stone, Deborah M, and Alex E Crosby. “Suicide Prevention.” American journal of lifestyle medicine vol. 8,6 (2014): 404-420. doi:10.1177/1559827614551130
- Wasserman, Danuta et al. “Adaptation of evidence-based suicide prevention strategies during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.” World psychiatry : official journal of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA) vol. 19,3 (2020): 294-306. doi:10.1002/wps.20801
