Suicide prevention
More than 700 000 people die by suicide every year. For each suicide, there are likely more than 20 suicide attempts.
Suicide occurs throughout life. It was the fourth leading cause of death among 15–29-year-olds globally in 2019.
Suicide occurs in all regions of the world. In fact, 77% of global suicides happen in low- and middle-income countries.
While the link between suicide and mental disorders (in particular, depression and alcohol use disorders) and a previous suicide attempt is well established, particularly in high-income settings, many suicides happen impulsively in moments of crisis. Further risk factors include experience of loss, loneliness, discrimination, a relationship break-up, financial problems, chronic pain and illness, violence, abuse, and conflict or other humanitarian emergencies.
Suicides and suicide attempts have a ripple effect that impacts on families, friends, colleagues, communities and societies.
Suicides are preventable. Much can be done to prevent suicide at individual, community and national levels.
Much can be done to prevent suicide at individual, community and national levels.
WHO’s LIVE LIFE approach recommends four key interventions which have proven to be effective:
- limit access to the means of suicide
- interact with the media for responsible reporting of suicide
- foster socio-emotional life skills in adolescents
- early identify, assess, manage and follow up anyone who is affected by suicidal behaviours.
The foundational pillars of the interventions for suicide prevention are: situation analysis, multisectoral collaboration, awareness raising, capacity building, financing, surveillance, monitoring and evaluation.
National suicide prevention strategies: progress, examples and indicators
Communities also play a crucial role in preventing suicide. WHO has published Preventing suicide: a community engagement toolkit to support a bottom-up approach to suicide prevention by which communities identify priorities and implement activities according to local contexts.
The urgency to act to prevent suicides has been recognized and prioritized at the highest levels.
The reduction of suicide rates in countries is an indicator in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (the only indicator for mental health), WHO’s General Programme of Work and WHO’s Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan 2013–2030.
The first WHO world suicide report, Preventing suicide: a global imperative, published in 2014, aims to increase the awareness of the public health significance of suicide and suicide attempts and to make suicide prevention a high priority on the global public health agenda.
The report also encourages and supports countries to develop or strengthen comprehensive national suicide prevention strategies in a multisectoral public health approach. National leadership and coordination on suicide prevention are further supported by the publication of National suicide prevention strategies: progress, examples and indicators and the implementation of effective interventions by LIVE LIFE.
Data and statistics are necessary for advocacy and decision-making. In response, the WHO has since published Suicide worldwide in 2019: Global Health Estimates.
Our vision is a world where death by suicide is no longer a leading cause of death and where people who are attempting or thinking about suicide feel comfortable seeking help which is provided capably and respectfully to all.
LIVE LIFE is WHO’s package of key effective and evidence-based multisectoral interventions for suicide prevention, and a catalyst for governments to take evidence-based action to prevent suicide.