Mental health promotion and suicide prevention
On October 10th, people around the world will be taking part in the annual World Mental Health Day, drawing attention to the importance of mental well-being.
Organised by the World Federation for Mental Health since 1992 and supported by many of the national and international charities, this year the theme will focus on suicide prevention.
According to the Mental Health Organization, "more than 800,000 people die by suicide a year, making it the principal cause of death among people fifteen to twenty-nine years old. The UK suicide rate is 10.1 suicides per 100,000 population with the highest rate in Scotland (13.9 suicides per 100,000 population) and the lowest in England (9.2 deaths per 100,000 population) (Office for National Statistics 2017)
WFMH President, Professor Alberto Trimboli adds: “Suicide is a global public health problem that deserves the attention of all the actors in the field of mental health, including scientific and professional organizations, organizations for mental health users and their families, and universities. It is particularly important to have the attention of national health authorities since it is their responsibility to craft policies and directives aimed at establishing strategies to prevent suicide and promote the public’s mental health. The role of both print and audiovisual communication media and of social media is no less important, since their participation can have positive as well as negative effects, depending on how they address this subject.
Join us this year as we focus on suicide prevention. We are partnering and collaborating with many groups around the world to make this an amazing year of positive change. We hope you will support our efforts and keep the spotlight on suicide prevention!”
The key topics being addressed in the activities supporting World Mental Health Day this year include:
Ultimately the goal of WMHD is to reduce the rate of suicide throughout the world.
For more information about the campaign, visit the World Foundation for Mental Health website
For a range of mental well-being resources including teaching materials, parents guides and staff training, join our Safeguarding Essentials service. Members can login now to distribute staff training on this topic
