Hotline helps reduce Lebanon suicide rates

Surge in preventable suicides prompted the creation of a hotline called Embrace

Special To Gulf News

Asuicide prevention hotline in Lebanon has gained prominence with more than 400 people calling in over the past four months.

Embrace, launched last year, is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) and an awareness support network, specialised in mental health and suicide prevention in Lebanon.

The hotline team consists of 44 volunteers trained to tackle different cases. Despite Lebanon’s relatively low suicide rate, the founders say the need for the hotline was necessary after a surge of preventable suicides in Lebanon in the past few years.

Lebanon has a 0.2 per cent suicide rate compared to the 1.4 per cent global average.

Statistics show the existence of such hotlines helps reduce suicides by 21 per cent.

The volunteers are trained to give moral support to the callers and determine the seriousness of the threat.

They also extend their services to the families of the callers by connecting them with the right doctors and hospitals to get treatment.

The reasons for suicide vary, and the website has various testimonies of people suffering from various disorders ranging from bipolar disorder, eating disorders, obsessive compulsive disorders, social anxiety and manic-depression.

Others come from abusive or alcoholic families.

According to statistics posted on their website, one person commits suicide in Lebanon every 2.5 days and every six hours one person attempts suicide in the country.

At least 16 per cent of students ages 12 to 14 had seriously considered committing suicide. Men in Lebanon are twice as likely to commit suicide than women.

people have benefited from the hotline in four months

■ Hams Saleh is an intern at Gulf News