September 10th is World Suicide Prevention Day. This is an important awareness day for us at Covenant House Vancouver. It is not uncommon for young people to experience suicidal thoughts amidst painful experiences in their lives. Thus, in the month of September, we try to raise awareness and encourage understanding of the opportunities for prevention and the ways we all can help those living in pain. This year’s theme is “Creating Hope Through Action”.
As the World Health Organization puts it, “By creating hope through action, we can signal to people experiencing suicidal thoughts that there is hope and that we care and want to support them. It also suggests that our actions, no matter how big or small, may provide hope to those who are struggling. Lastly, it highlights the importance of setting suicide prevention as a priority public health agenda by countries, particularly where access to mental health services and availability of evidence-based interventions are already low.”
Below are some facts and figures for suicide across the globe. This infographic has been created and shared by the International Association for Suicide Prevention.
Ways to take action
The International Association for Suicide Prevention also offers some resources for how to take action to prevent suicide. You can read “Take Time to Reach Out”. You can also explore some of their suggested activities for World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10.