This year, World Suicide Prevention Day was the 10th September and “Creating hope through action” is the triennial theme for the World Suicide Prevention Day from 2021 – 2023. This theme is a reminder that there is an alternative to suicide and aims to inspire confidence and light in all of us.
There was a MASSIVE impact on mental health globally throughout the pandemic, so we look at the statistics over a three year period to ensure we’re getting a comprehensive view of how this issue is affecting everyone. By taking the average across three year periods we get a better idea of where people are suffering and can use the data to create a plan of action to help.
We’re encouraging you to continue the conversation all year round as the issue is always prevalent – and there’s always something we can do to help. An estimated 703,000 people a year take their life around the world. For every suicide, there are likely 20 other people making a suicide attempt and many more have serious thoughts of suicide. Millions of people suffer intense grief or are otherwise profoundly impacted by suicidal behaviours. This is why it’s of vital importance that we all do what we can.
How can you get involved?
By encouraging understanding, reaching out and sharing experiences, we want to give people the confidence to take action. To prevent suicide requires us to become a beacon of light to those in pain. You don’t need to have all the answers, you just need to be willing to help.
We can all play a role in supporting those experiencing a suicidal crisis or those bereaved by suicide whether as a member of society, as a child, as a parent, as a friend, as a colleague or as a person with lived experience.
Here are some ways you can take action:
- Get informed: there are plenty of courses you can take to better understand how to spot the signs of someone suffering from poor mental health and suicidal thoughts. We have a number of available courses we can teach online or in your community, you can find out more here.
- Keep the conversation open: check in with your friends, family, co-workers or anyone you think may be struggling. It can be helpful to open dialogue by opening up about your own feelings and starting to normalise talking about these issues.
- Get involved with charities: this is a great way to help if you’re really passionate about making a difference in this area. There are so many worthy charities that help people who are suffering in this way that you can help and that will give you the knowledge you need to help more effectively. For example, the Samaritans have a great article on World Suicide Prevention Day that you can find here.
If you’re looking for more information, the government has a strategy document for how they plan to help bring suicide rates down, you can find it here.
The only true way to tackle this issue, make a difference and save lives is to keep spreading awareness and to keep educating ourselves. If you have any questions or want to find out more about our courses, visit our website or follow us on Twitter.
