Suicide prevention messages now appearing on digital billboards

Suicide prevention messages are appearing on digital billboards across the island as world suicide prevention week kicks off.

The initiative is being run by Crisis Resolution Malta (CRM) and is being supported by Transport Malta who manage the use of the digital billboards across Malta and Gozo.

Within the first six hours of these billboard messages going live, four people used the CRM crises line and were able to get help.

In 2014, 4.2% of deaths in Malta were attributed to mental and behavioural disorders, which was higher than the European average of 3.7% that year.

The death rate from intentional self-harm in Malta was 8.3 per 100,000 (EU average 11.3) with men being almost seven times more likely to die from intentional self-harm than women.

Deaths from intentional selfharm in the over 65 age groups occur exclusively in men. Such deaths are 1.5 times more common in this age group than in persons less than 65 years, with the most common instigator being dementia.

In 2016, around 48,700 people in the European Union (EU) died as a result of intentional self-harm with almost 8 in 10 of these suicides (77%) being among men, Eurostat statistics show.

On average, there were almost 11 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants resulting from suicide in the EU in 2016.

In 2017, among the EU Member States, Lithuania registered the highest rate of suicide at 26 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, followed by Slovenia (20 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants).

At the opposite end of the scale, Cyprus recorded the lowest standardised death rates for suicide (4 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants), followed by Greece and Malta (both 5) and Italy (6).

If you are in a time of crisis, and or having suicidal thoughts, don’t hesitate to call Crisis Resolution Malta on 99339966