According to the WHO estimate, one person dies of suicide every 40 seconds worldwide, totalling more than 700,000 people in a year. Shockingly, suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among people under 30. India accounts for 28% of global suicides. Youth suicide is the highest in India. This tragic loss impacts individuals, families, and communities worldwide. To promote mental health awareness and support suicide prevention efforts, the world observes September 10 as World Suicide Prevention Day.
This blog will discuss the significance of celebrating World Suicide Prevention Day.
World Suicide Prevention Day: History
In 2003, the International Association for Suicide Prevention partnered with the World Health Organisation to launch World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD). This important initiative was established to raise awareness about the impact of suicide. The inaugural WSPD was held in Stockholm on September 10, 2003.
World Suicide Prevention Day 2024 Theme and Significance
The theme for World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) 2024-26 is "Changing the Narrative on Suicide," with emphasis on "Starting the Conversation." This theme signifies the following,
- The call to action to start the conversation about suicide prevention
- Aim to reduce the stigma associated with mental health issues.
- A shift from silence and secrecy towards creating a support system that promotes understanding and compassion for individuals facing depression and anxiety.
- The government must include mental health support and advocacy in policy making.
- Raising awareness that suicide is preventable and provide better access to care and support for people dealing with mental health issues.
Causes of Suicide
Understanding the factors contributing to suicide attempts is crucial for developing effective suicide prevention plans. In a study, survivors of suicide attempts were interviewed to understand the reasons for suicide and several common factors were identified. Let's look at some key factors responsible for youth suicide attempts.
Background Factors
These factors mainly include individual and environmental factors which make an individual suicidal. The stressors that trigger self-harm include
- Interpersonal factors like Conflict, unmet needs, violence, unpleasant revelations, jealousy, family discord, alcohol/addiction, and Rejection, etc.
- Financial factors
- Education
- Work
- Illness
- Death
Psychological Factors
These factors include the emotional and mental state of an individual. Emotional state includes feelings like,
- Anger
- Anxiety
- Loneliness
- Hurt
- Guilt
- Depression
On the other hand, mental state includes thoughts like
- Sense of fear and uncertainty
- Sense of failure
- Hopelessness
Intervening Factors
These factors can lead an individual from negative thoughts to self-harm or even a suicide attempt.
- Impulsiveness
- Easy access to the means of self-harm
- Invalidation
- No support
- Intoxication
Government Initiatives taken for the prevention of suicides in India
In India, over 1 lakh people die due to suicide every year, and this number is increasing every year. To control the number of suicides, the government has taken many initiatives in the past few years, as given below:
National Suicide Prevention Strategy
India announced its first National Suicide Prevention Strategy in the year 2022. It was based on the WHO-recommended model, including:
- Primary prevention intervention that focused on the whole population.
- Secondary prevention intervention that focused on high-risk individuals.
- Tertiary prevention intervention that focused on individuals affected by suicide.
The main functions of National Suicide Prevention are,
- To establish effective surveillance mechanisms mainly for suicide prevention in youth.
- To establish psychiatric OPDs to provide care for mental health issues.
- To start a District Mental Health Programme in all districts and work towards raising depression awareness.
- To include mental well-being curriculums in schools and colleges teaching life skills and stress management.
- To issue guidelines for the media to report suicides responsibly.
- To ensure better care for high-risk groups.
Mental Healthcare Act, 2017
This act was formulated to provide mental healthcare services to every individual dealing with mental health issues.
Tele MANAS
Tele MANAS (Mental Health Assitance and Networking Across States) is a 24/7 mental healthcare service with a toll-free helpline number to provide counsellor support, professional help and much more to people having suicidal thoughts or dealing with mental health issues like anxiety, depression and stress.
UMMEED
UMMEED (Understand, Motivate Manage, Empathise, Empower, Develop) is an initiative to develop guidelines for schools to support students, take preventive measures and identify students at risk of developing a mental health concern.
Key Takeaways!
As the world is about to observe World Suicide Prevention Day, it is vital to understand the leading causes behind such behaviours. Mental health concerns are increasing among the people today. Addressing these concerns is the first step towards suicide prevention. Suicide is preventable if an environment of support and empathy is created. Save lives and create a world worth living.
>> Also Read: Does your Insurance Cover Mental Therapy?
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