World Suicide Prevention Day

Neelz Singh, Lami

Is observed on September 10 each year to promote worldwide action to prevent suicides.

Various events and activities are held during this occasion to raise awareness that suicide is a major preventable cause of premature death.

Fiji is not behind when suicide cases are accumulated.

Many individuals commit suicide. For every person who commits a suicide more may attempt to end their lives. Suicide is a major preventable cause of premature death which is influenced by psycho-social, cultural and environmental risk factors that can be prevented through worldwide responses that address these main risk factors:

Decrease stigmatisation regarding suicide.

Reduction of stress or other family or finical burden

Less attention in society or knowledge about suicide.

Possible preventative measures are listed below:

Launches of publications about suicide awareness and prevention.

Media programmes promoting suicide awareness and prevention.

Training courses about suicide and depression awareness.

Counseling.

Suicide prevention is an umbrella term for the collective efforts of local citizens organisations, mental health practitioners and related professionals to reduce the incidence of suicides.

Such efforts include preventive and proactive measures within the realms of medicine and mental health, as well as public health and other fields.

Suicide prevention interventions fall into two broad categories: Prevention targeted at the level of the individual and prevention targeted at the level of the population.

The hope is to prevent such an act.