‘Creating hope through action’ - World Suicide Prevention Day 2022
Skopje, 10 September 2022 (MIA) – September 10 of each year marks World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD), raising awareness and giving a singular message that suicide can be prevented. ‘Creating hope through action’ is the triennial theme for World Suicide Prevention Day from 2021-2023. This theme is a reminder that there is an alternative to suicide and aims to inspire confidence and light in all of us, says the World Health Organization (WHO).
“By creating hope through action, we can signal to people experiencing suicidal thoughts that there is hope and that we care and want to support them. It also suggests that our actions, no matter how big or small, may provide hope to those who are struggling. Lastly, it highlights the importance of setting suicide prevention as a priority public health agenda by countries, particularly where access to mental health services and availability of evidence-based interventions are already low. Building on this theme and spreading this message over the three years, a world can be envisioned where suicides are not so prevalent,” the WHO said.
According to the WHO, we can all play a role in supporting those 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 a person with lived experience. We can all encourage understanding about the issue, reach in to people who are struggling.
“Every 45 seconds someone takes their life; an estimated 703,000 people a year around the world. For each suicide approximately 135 people suffer intense grief or are otherwise affected, resulting in 108 million people, annually, who are profoundly impacted by suicidal behaviours. For every suicide, 25 people make a suicide attempt and many more have serious thoughts of suicide,” the WHO notes.
Social stigma and a lack of awareness remain major barriers to help-seeking for suicide. Stigma, particularly surrounding mental disorders and suicide, means many people thinking of taking their own life or who have attempted suicide are not seeking help and are therefore not getting the help they need.
The prevention of suicide has not been adequately addressed due to a lack of awareness of suicide as a major public health problem and the taboo in many societies to openly discuss it.
World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) was established in 2003 by the International Association for Suicide Prevention in conjunction with the World Health Organization (WHO), to reduce stigma and raises awareness among organizations, government, and the public.
The role of media – “Prevent, don’t sensationalize”
On World Suicide Prevention Day, it’s important to mention that the media can play a significant role in preventing suicide by reporting responsibly on these tragedies.
According to research and experts, irresponsible reporting on suicide negatively affects vulnerable people.
After recent cases of unethical reporting by certain media, the Council of Media Ethics of Macedonia urged that given the sensitivity of the issue, the media must also be involved in the process of educating the public and prevention, instead of stepping on the line of sensationalism.
If the media assess that it is a matter of public interest, they must verify the information, but in no case must they refer to unofficial sources and speculate about the possible reasons.
“The information must be not only seriously fact-checked, but also processed, with a focus on analyzing the big picture, not the specific case and/or explication of details,” said the Council of Media Ethics of Macedonia.
According to the WHO, we can all play a role in supporting those 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 a person with lived experience. We can all encourage understanding about the issue, reach in to people who are struggling.
“Every 45 seconds someone takes their life; an estimated 703,000 people a year around the world. For each suicide approximately 135 people suffer intense grief or are otherwise affected, resulting in 108 million people, annually, who are profoundly impacted by suicidal behaviours. For every suicide, 25 people make a suicide attempt and many more have serious thoughts of suicide,” the WHO notes.
Social stigma and a lack of awareness remain major barriers to help-seeking for suicide. Stigma, particularly surrounding mental disorders and suicide, means many people thinking of taking their own life or who have attempted suicide are not seeking help and are therefore not getting the help they need.
The prevention of suicide has not been adequately addressed due to a lack of awareness of suicide as a major public health problem and the taboo in many societies to openly discuss it.
World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) was established in 2003 by the International Association for Suicide Prevention in conjunction with the World Health Organization (WHO), to reduce stigma and raises awareness among organizations, government, and the public.
The role of media – “Prevent, don’t sensationalize”
On World Suicide Prevention Day, it’s important to mention that the media can play a significant role in preventing suicide by reporting responsibly on these tragedies.
According to research and experts, irresponsible reporting on suicide negatively affects vulnerable people.
After recent cases of unethical reporting by certain media, the Council of Media Ethics of Macedonia urged that given the sensitivity of the issue, the media must also be involved in the process of educating the public and prevention, instead of stepping on the line of sensationalism.
If the media assess that it is a matter of public interest, they must verify the information, but in no case must they refer to unofficial sources and speculate about the possible reasons.
“The information must be not only seriously fact-checked, but also processed, with a focus on analyzing the big picture, not the specific case and/or explication of details,” said the Council of Media Ethics of Macedonia.
