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World Suicide Prevention Day


Global Suicide Statistics

  • An estimated 703,000 people die by suicide worldwide each year.


  • Over one in every 100 death (1.3%) in 2019 were the result of suicide.


  • The global suicide rate is over twice as high among men than women.


  • Over half (58%) of all death by suicide occur before the age of 50 years old


Creating Hope Through Action

  • World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD), celebrated annually on 10 September, is organised by the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) and endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO).

  • In Ireland, this is a theme that underpins our collective efforts to prevent suicide and is reflected in our national suicide prevention strategy, Connecting for Life.

  • The event represents a global commitment to focus attention on suicide prevention.

  • The theme of WSPD 2021, “Creating hope through action,” reflects the need for collective, action to address this urgent public health issue. All of us- family members, friends, co-workers, community members, educators, religious leaders, healthcare professionals and politicians - can take action to prevent suicide

Suicide Risk Factors

  • Suicides and suicide attempts have a ripple effect that impacts not only individuals, but also families, communities and societies.

  • Associated risk factors for suicide, such as job or financial loss, trauma or abuse, mental and substance use disorders, and barriers to accessing health care, have been further amplified by COVID-19.

  • Evidence to date shows that the combined effect of the Covid-19 pandemic and associated restrictions is that approximately one person in every five in the general population in Ireland (and elsewhere) has significantly increased psychological distress (e.g. anxiety, depression)

Impact of Covid-19 on Mental Health in Ireland: Evidence to Date (Kelly, 2021)

Ways to Help

  • The goal is to shine a light on the issues in hopes of reaching people who are struggling before it's too late

  • The best way to prevent suicide is to recognize warning signs and know how to respond to such a crisis.

  1. Reach in - Reach in to someone you know might be struggling or to someone who you know has struggled before. It could be a phone call, a cup of tea, or even a text. If someone you know is feeling really low, the first thing to do is reach in to their world

  2. Reach out - If you are feeling particularly low or hopeless, always remember that sharing things with someone else will help

  3. Reconnect - during the pandemic, people may have lost meaningful connections in their lives, you can help find new ways to re-establish meaningful connections for people and yourself.

  4. Learn more - If someone tells you they have been thinking about suicide, stay calm and don’t be afraid. There are lots of helpful things you can do in situations like this and there are training programmes that can help prepare you for them such as the 90 minute ‘LivingWorks Start’ online programme.

  5. Show your support - Connect with a support or community organisation - volunteer, help spread their messages, and become involved in activities that help promote positive mental health and wellbeing, or suicide prevention in your community.

  6. Know where to turn - Get to know what mental health services and supports are available, and tell more people about them. Many are open 24/7 and are accessible in lots of different ways, for example on the phone (Samaritans, freephone 116 123), by text message (Text50808, text HELLO to 50808), online (MyMind, visit www.mymind.org) or face-to-face (Pieta, visit www.pieta.ie)


At Dublin Mind Clinic we offer various types of Psychotherapy & Neurofeedback Therapy


Get the support you deserve.

More information on how to avail of our services at



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