Suicide A suicide every 40 seconds

WHO publishes first "World Suicide Report"

09/05/2014

If a person takes his own life, the media usually react with great restraint. Not without reason, because, as many years of documentary evidence proves, detailed media reports on suicide lead to imitation. Accordingly, the World Health Organization (WHO) also asks to deal responsibly with the data from the first "World Suicide Report". According to him, every year more than 800,000 people worldwide take their lives, plus several million suicide attempts.

Detailed media reports hold the risk for „Copycat suicide“
In the case of a suicide, the reader or listener rarely learns more details. With good reason, because, as several studies have shown, the number of suicides rises after a detailed report every time. It concerns the so-called „Copycat suicide“ apparently not just people who would have taken their own lives during the year anyway. Instead, from an expert's point of view, these are also additional suicides. Accordingly, the media usually respond very carefully and follow the guidelines of the German Press Council for the Protection of Personality (Section 8), which states: „Reporting on suicide requires restraint. This applies in particular to the naming of names, the publication of photos and the description of closer circumstances.“

More than 800,000 people are killed each year worldwide
For this reason, the World Health Organization (WHO) is appealing for the responsible handling of sensitive data on the occasion of the publication of the first "World Suicide Report". Because suicide is still a very serious issue that affects far more people than often assumed. As the WHO reports, more than 800,000 people worldwide die each year, plus several million suicide attempts. According to the organization, suicide is the second leading cause of death in the age group of 15 to 29 year olds. Accordingly, the topic must „suicide“ Finally, according to WHO Director-General Margaret Chan, more attention will be focused on: „This report is a call to action to tackle a major public health problem that has been taboo for far too long.“ For the states this meant concrete actions, because „every suicide is a tragedy that affects families, communities, and entire countries. "As a result, survivors often struggle with trauma and mental health problems years later.

Three out of four suicides are committed in poorer states
According to Margaret Chan, suicide is indeed a global phenomenon, yet there would be strong differences in the suicide rate in international comparison. Thus, three out of every four registered suicides were committed in low- and middle-income states. In some countries, the rate was more than 20 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in 2012, the organization reports. These include Burundi, Guyana, Kazakhstan, Lithuania and Nepal, as well as Korea (North and South), Sri Lanka and Tanzania. A shockingly high number, because in this country would „just“ well over nine out of 100,000 people per year commit suicide, of which about three times as many men as women - a phenomenon that also "occurs in other high-income countries". In poorer countries, on the other hand, according to the WHO, the gap between the sexes is not so high that "men are only marginally more affected than women". There are no differences "in terms of age structure, because it is striking that the world's most suicides were committed by people over 70 years".

Causes often mental disorders and alcohol abuse
Triggers of the desire to die are often severe mental health problems such as depression, in many cases triggered or accompanied by excessive alcohol consumption or drug abuse. In addition, there would be causes such as professional and / or financial problems, serious illness or intolerable, chronic pain, but it was also possible that „a general feeling of hopelessness“ to make a person take his own life. In addition, genetic and biological factors and cases already committed in the family environment are relevant, as are external influences in the form of wars and conflicts and physical or sexual abuse. According to the report, the high rate of suicide attempts was also to be taken seriously, because a failed attempt often led to those affected trying again - partly because of a „failure“ often result in social stigmatization.

Objective: To reduce suicide rates by ten percent by 2020
According to the report, it is the goal of WHO member countries to achieve a reduction of suicide rates by ten percent by 2020. To this end, WHO also published various preventive measures in parallel with its World Suicide Report. Among other things, these provide limited access to weapons, poisons and dangerous drugs, and it is important for the WHO to continue its fight against alcohol abuse. Similarly, people with mental or mental health problems or chronic pain would need more support and assistance. Accordingly, Margaret Chan appealed to the states to invest more money in prevention - because so far there would only be programs in 28 countries. „This report, the first WHO publication of its kind, presents a comprehensive overview of suicide, suicide attempts, and successful suicide prevention efforts worldwide. We know what works. Now it is time to act“, said the director of the WHO department „Mental Health and Substance Abuse“, Dr. Shekhar Saxena. (No)