(PCM) World Suicide Prevention Day takes place on September 10th and urges all of us to take some time and work together towards the common goal of preventing suicide. Use this day as a reason to go check in on a friend or loved one that you may be concerned about and lend an ear and a shoulder to show them that they do have support in their time of need.
The theme is “Preventing Suicide: Reaching Out and Saving Lives,” and will focus on raising awareness that suicide is a major preventable cause of premature death on a global level. There are a number of ways that you can become involved to raise awareness, as suicide claims more than 1 million lives worldwide each year. That number equates out to about one suicide every 40 seconds. According to Suicidology.com, There is an estimated 10 to 20 suicide attempts per each completed suicide, resulting in several million suicide attempts each year. Suicide and suicidal behavior affects individuals of all ages, genders, races and religions across the planet.
Risk factors remain essentially the same from country to country. Mental illness, substance abuse, previous suicide attempts, hopelessness, access to lethal means, recent loss of loved ones, unemployment and vulnerability to self-harm are just few examples of risk factors. Protective factors are also the same in all corners of the world. High self-esteem, social connectedness, problem-solving skills, supportive family and friends are all examples of factors that buffer against suicide and suicidal behaviors.
World Suicide Prevention Day represents a call for action and involvement by all governments and organizations worldwide to contribute to the cause of suicide awareness and prevention through activities, events, conferences and campaigns in their country. On September 10th, World Suicide Prevention Day, light a candle near a window at 8 PM to show your support for suicide prevention, to remember a lost loved one, and for the survivors of suicide.