WHO called for concerted action to reduce the number of suicides in the world
Last reviewed: 16.10.2021
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The World Health Organization published the first large-scale report on the prevention of suicidal cases, according to which from suicide each year more than 800 thousand people die, on average every 40 seconds one person dies.
In countries where the predominantly low and medium standard of living, most cases of suicide occur (approximately 75%).
Among all cases of suicide, poisoning with pesticides, using firearms and hanging most often occurs, and if you restrict access to possible suicidal means, you can significantly reduce the number of suicides. To reduce the number of suicidal cases will help national strategies, which currently apply only in 28 countries.
The WHO report called for decisive action on a significant problem, such as suicide. A large number of suicides are happening all over the world, while suicides can be of any age, but in some countries there are a large number of suicidal cases among young people, especially among young men. In countries with a low and average quality of life, suicide is most likely for women in old age and for young people.
It is possible to prevent a suicide case by limiting access to the means by which suicide is most often committed (pesticides, sleeping pills, firearms, etc.), and also make every effort to timely detect and conduct various mental abnormalities. Also, when commenting on suicide in the media, it is not advisable to make a sensation from such a case and tell in detail about the manner in which suicide was committed.
Concerning people who tried to commit an unsuccessful suicide attempt, given the high probability of a second occurrence, it is important to maintain systematic contact with a potential suicide, in particular by phone or in person, to provide all sorts of psychological support.
WHO calls on countries to involve not only the health protection unit in the country, but also various ministries (education, social security, labor, justice).
This WHO report was the first of its kind and is a publication with a comprehensive review of suicide cases, as well as successful attempts to prevent them.
As Director of the WHO Department for Substance Abuse and Mental Health Shekhar Saksena stated, it is important to act right now, as the most effective measures to prevent suicides are already known.
WHO published a report shortly before the day devoted to the prevention of suicides, which is celebrated all over the world. According to the WHO's proposed actions in the field of mental health, countries are making every effort to reduce the number of suicidal cases by 10% by 2020.
The youth's predilection for suicide is alarming in most countries, especially in low- and middle-income countries, where the maximum rate of suicide among women is recorded.
In the world, most often deprive themselves of life with the help of pesticides, which is especially important for agricultural areas of the western part of the Pacific Ocean.