MELBOURNE, 13 September 2023: Suicide is a global major health problem. WHO says, each year more than 700,000 people take their own life. It is the fourth leading cause of death among 15–29-year-olds. Not only is each loss of life tragic in itself, but it also has profound and devastating effects on families and entire communities.
Reducing the global suicide rate by one third by 2030 is a target of both the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the WHO Global Mental Health Action Plan. Urgent action is needed to meet the 2030 goal, and countries have committed to taking concrete measures in this direction.
“Each death by suicide is a tragedy, and more must be done to strengthen suicide prevention. The resources launched by WHO today provide important guidance on two areas which are critical to suicide prevention efforts: decriminalisation of suicide and suicide attempts and responsible reporting of suicide by the media,” said Dévora Kestel, Director of Mental Health and Substance Use, WHO.
In 23 countries suicide is a criminal offence. Those who do the self harm are punished for attempted suicide. Attempts have been made to decriminalise suicide.
Drawing on the experiences of countries that have recently decriminalised suicide and suicide attempts, including Guyana, Pakistan and Singapore, the WHO policy brief on health aspects of the decriminalization of suicide and suicide attempts sets out recommendations for policy-makers, legislators and other decision-makers considering reform in this area.
Key recommendations focus on developing national suicide prevention strategies; budgeting for ‘post-decriminalization’ training for first line responders; establishing rights-oriented community-based mental health services; formulating new mental health related laws and policies that promote quality care and the rights of persons with mental health conditions and psychosocial disabilities.
The fourth edition of Preventing suicide: a resource for media professionals, produced in collaboration with the International Association for Suicide Prevention, summarizes current evidence on the impact of media reporting of suicide, and provides practical guidance for media professionals on how to report on suicide responsibly.
“Responsible media coverage of suicide is an important tool in our collective suicide prevention efforts. By using this resource, media professionals can help minimize imitative behaviours through accurate, appropriate, and empathetic reporting on suicide, and encourage people to seek vital help,” said Dr Alexandra Fleischmann, Scientist at WHO.
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