World Suicide Prevention Day (10 September)

Every year, almost one million people die from suicide; a "global" mortality rate of 16 per 100,000, or one death every 40 seconds. World Suicide Prevention Day promotes worldwide commitment and action to prevent suicides.

Disseminating information, improving education and training, and decreasing stigmatization are important tasks in raising awareness around the globe that suicide can be prevented.

The theme in 2011 is “Preventing Suicide in Multicultural Societies”.

World Suicide Prevention Day is an opportunity for all sectors of the community to join with the International Association for Suicide Prevention and the WHO to focus public attention on the unacceptable burden and costs of suicidal behaviours with diverse activities to promote understanding about suicide and highlight effective prevention activities.

At the global level, awareness needs to be raised that suicide is a major preventable cause of premature death. Governments need to develop policy frameworks for national suicide prevention strategies. At the local level, policy statements and research outcomes need to be translated into prevention programmes and activities in communities.

Facts:

• Every year, almost one million people die from suicide; a "global" mortality rate of 16 per 100,000, or one death every 40 seconds.
• In the last 45 years suicide rates have increased by 60% worldwide.
• Suicide worldwide is estimated to represent 1.8% of the total global burden of disease in 1998, and 2.4% in countries with market and former socialist economies in 2020.
• Mental disorders (particularly depression and alcohol use disorders) are a major risk factor for suicide in Europe and North America; however, in Asian countries impulsiveness plays an important role. Suicide is complex with psychological, social, biological, cultural and environmental factors involved.

Links:

• UNESCO - World Suicide Prevention Day
• UNESCO – Suicide prevention (SUPRE)
• The International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP)