Suicide prevention Response

Much can be done to prevent suicide. WHO recommends four key interventions which have proven to be effective:

restricting access to means
working with the media to ensure responsible reporting of suicide.
helping young people develop skills to cope with life’s pressures
early identification and management of people who are thinking about suicide or who have made a suicide attempt, keeping follow-up contact in the short and longer-term
Collectively, WHO’s approach to suicide prevention is known as LIVE LIFE, comprising leadership, interventions, vision, evaluation (LIVE) as cross-cutting strategies and less means, interaction with the media, forming the young, early identification (LIFE) as key effective interventions. This approach is the basis on which comprehensive multisectoral national suicide prevention strategies should be developed.

National suicide prevention strategies: progress, examples and indicators

Suicide

Close to 800 000 people die by suicide every year. Furthermore, for each suicide, there are more than 20 suicide attempts.

Suicides and suicide attempts have a ripple effect that impacts on families, friends, colleagues, communities and societies.

Suicides are preventable. Much can be done to prevent suicide at individual, community and national levels