Washington, DC, September 9, 2021 (PAHO) - In the context of World Suicide Prevention Day, which takes place on September 10 each year, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) warns that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated risk factors associated with suicidal behavior and calls for prioritizing its prevention.
Various studies have shown that the pandemic has amplified risk factors associated with suicide, such as job or financial loss, trauma or abuse, mental disorders, and barriers to accessing healthcare. One year after the start of the pandemic, around 50% of people who participated in a World Economic Forum survey in Chile, Brazil, Peru, and Canada reported that their mental health had worsened.
“Suicide is an urgent public health problem, and its prevention must be a national priority,” said Renato Oliveira e Souza, head of the PAHO Mental Health Unit. “We need action from all sectors of society to end these deaths, and we require a commitment from governments to invest in and create a comprehensive national strategy that improves suicide prevention and care,” he emphasized.
With one in every 100 deaths, suicide remains a leading cause of death worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Each year, more people die by suicide than from HIV, malaria, or breast cancer, or from war and homicide. Among young people aged 15 to 29, suicide was the fourth leading cause of death globally, after road traffic accidents, tuberculosis, and interpersonal violence.
According to the WHO's 2019 World Health Statistics, 97,339 people died by suicide in the Americas in 2019, and it is estimated that suicide attempts may have been 20 times that number. Men accounted for approximately 77% of all suicide deaths, and although progress has been made in evidence-based interventions for suicide prevention, many countries continue to experience rising rates.
“Losing a loved one to suicide is heartbreaking, and it’s something we can prevent,” said Oliveira e Souza. The WHO’s recent LIVING LIFE guidelines can support national efforts and help the world achieve the goal of reducing the global suicide rate by one-third by 2030.
Key proven suicide prevention measures include limiting access to the means of suicide (such as pesticides and firearms), early identification, assessment, management and follow-up of individuals affected by suicidal thoughts and behaviors, fostering adolescents' social-emotional skills, and educating the media to report responsibly on suicide.
Stigma, surveillance, limited resources, and lack of awareness remain the main obstacles to seeking help, highlighting the need for mental health literacy and anti-stigma campaigns.
“Creating hope through action” is the theme of this year’s World Suicide Prevention Day, organized by the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) and supported by the WHO, with the overall goal of raising awareness about suicide prevention worldwide.
Warning signs of suicide
Most suicides are preceded by verbal or behavioral warning signs, such as talking about wanting to die, feeling intense guilt or shame, or feeling like a burden to others. Other signs include feeling empty, hopeless, trapped, or without a reason to live; feeling extremely sad, anxious, agitated, or angry; and experiencing unbearable pain, whether emotional or physical.
Likewise, changes in behavior such as making a plan or researching ways to die; withdrawing from friends, saying goodbye, giving away important items or making a will; doing very risky things such as driving at extreme speeds; showing extreme mood swings; eating or sleeping too much or too little; using drugs or alcohol more frequently, can be warning signs of suicide.
Effective interventions exist to prevent suicide. On a personal level, early detection and treatment of depression and alcohol use disorders are crucial for suicide prevention, as is follow-up contact with those who have attempted suicide and psychosocial support within communities. If someone notices warning signs of suicide in themselves or someone they know, they should seek help from a healthcare professional as soon as possible.