World Suicide Prevention Day

2008 - Think Globally, Plan Nationally, Act Locally

World Suicide Prevention Day is an annual event sponsored by the International Association for Suicide Prevention, in collaboration with the World Health Organization and other NGOs. It calls attention to suicide as a leading cause of premature and preventable death. This year the theme of World Suicide Prevention Day is «Suicide Prevention across the Life Span». This theme has been adopted to emphasise the fact that suicide occurs in all ages and to change the common misperception that suiciede occurs mostly amongst the young.

Fortunately, suicide is not an inevitable burden that must be accepted by society. Suicide prevention is everyone’s business and anyone can participate. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, 75 percent of suicides occur after some kind of warning has been given. Take those warnings seriously. Depression and other emotional disorders that commonly occur prior to suicide are treatable. Get help for your friend or family member.