“Creating hope through action”
An estimated 703,000 people commit suicide each year worldwide. For every suicide, there are probably 20 other people who attempt suicide and many more have serious suicidal thoughts. Millions of people suffer from intense grief or are deeply affected by suicidal behavior.
Each death by suicide constitutes a public health problem with a profound impact on those around them. By raising awareness, reducing the stigma surrounding suicide and encouraging informed action, we can reduce cases of suicide worldwide.
World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) was created in 2003 by the International Association for Suicide Prevention in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO). September 10 each year draws attention to this issue, reduces stigma and raises awareness among organizations, government and the public, sending a singular message that suicide is preventable.
“Creating hope through action” is the triennial theme of World Suicide Prevention Day from 2021 to 2023. This theme reminds us that there is an alternative to suicide and aims to inspire confidence and light in each of us.
By creating hope through action, we can signal to people who are having suicidal thoughts that there is hope and that we care about them and want to support them. It also suggests that our actions, no matter how small, can provide hope to those who are struggling. Finally, it highlights the importance of making suicide prevention a public health priority in countries, particularly where access to mental health services and availability of evidence-based interventions are already low. By building on this theme and spreading this message over three years, we can imagine a world where suicides are not as prevalent.
We can all play a role in supporting people experiencing a suicidal crisis or those bereaved by suicide, whether as a member of society, as a child, as a parent, as a friend, as a colleague or as someone with lived experience. We can all encourage understanding of the problem, reach out to those in difficulty and share our experiences. We can all create hope through action and be the light.
