World Suicide Prevention Day 10th September

Suicide prevention remains a universal challenge. Every year, suicide is among the top 20 leading causes of death globally for people of all ages. It is responsible for over 800,000 deaths, which equates to one suicide every 40 seconds.

Every life lost represents someone’s partner, child, parent, friend or colleague. For each suicide approximately 135 people suffer intense grief or are otherwise affected. This amounts to 108 million people per year who are profoundly impacted by suicidal behaviour. Suicidal behaviour includes suicide, and also encompasses suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. For every suicide, 25 people make a suicide attempt and many more have serious thoughts of suicide.

Preventing suicide is often possible and we can all make a difference – as a member of society, as a child, as a parent, as a friend, as a colleague or as a neighbour. There are many things that we can do daily, and also on World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD), to prevent suicidal behaviour.

Organised by the International Association for Suicide Prevention and the World Health Organisation, the purpose of World Suicide Prevention Day is to promote worldwide commitment and action to prevent suicides.

We can raise awareness about the issue, educate ourselves and others about the causes of suicide and warning signs for suicide, show compassion and care for those who are in distress in our community, question the stigma associated with suicide, suicidal behaviour and mental health problems and share our own experiences.

This year is the first WSPD with the theme “Working Together to Prevent Suicide”  – this theme will be retained for WSPD in 2019 and 2020.

WSPD have chosen this theme as it highlights the most essential ingredient for effective global suicide prevention- collaboration. We all have a role to play and together we can collectively address the challenges presented by suicidal behaviour in society today.

On September 10th join with many others across the world who are playing their part in the prevention of suicide.

Find out more and access resources at iasp.info/wspd2018

See our suicide & self harm by children & young people resource