Every Year 10th of September is marked as World Suicide Prevention Day, organized by the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) with WHO as a Co-Sponsor. The day is celebrated to raise awareness that the suicide can be prevented. It is celebrated in order to provide global engagement and suicide preventive action and to perform various global activities since 2003.
An approximate one million people die each year as a result of suicide or about one in 10,000 (1.4% of all deaths), or “a death every 40 seconds or about 3,000 every day.” By 2004 the number of people who die as a result of suicide is predicted to hit 1.5 million a year by 2020.
The first WHO World Suicide report was released in 2014 entitled “Preventing Suicide: A Global Imperative,” which sought to prevent suicide and make it a top priority on the global public health agenda. In 1960, the late Professor Erwin Ringel and Dr. Norman Faberlow founded the International Association for Suicide Prevention in Vienna. It currently consists of professionals and volunteers from 77 countries, and is a Non-Governmental Agency dealing with the prevention of suicides.
Suicides can be prevented
Reducing access to suicide means is one way to reduce deaths. Other important interventions include proactive media reporting of suicide, such as avoiding terminology that sensationalises suicide and avoiding explicit explanation of strategies used, and early detection and treatment of problems of mental and drug use in populations and, in particular, by health workers.
Theme of World Suicide Prevention Day 2021
This year the theme of World Suicide Prevention Day 2021 is- “Creating Hope Through Action” . The theme highlights a positive message that attempts to encourage people to engage in this difficult topic.
“Creating Hope Through Action” represents a commitment to create a new sense of purpose in individuals by empowering and equipping them with the skills and confidence to connect with someone they suspect is struggling.”
Last year the 2019 theme of WSPD was “Working Together to Prevent Suicide”
Facts and Figure about World Suicide prevention Day
The 15th highest cause of death worldwide is suicide, which constitutes 1.4% of all deaths.
In higher risk of suicide, depression is the most common psychological condition. Fifty per cent of people in high-income countries who die from suicide suffer from major depressive disorder at death.
Suicide results from a combination of risk factors, often coupled with experience of trauma and loss, including but not limited to genetic, psychologic, social or cultural risk factors.
In many European countries, suicide is the leading cause of death in persons aged 15-24. In this age group, the global suicide rate in men is higher than in women.
Swikriti Dandotia
