AsianScientist (Sep. 10, 2011) – World Suicide Prevention Day, held annually on September 10, promotes worldwide commitment and action to prevent suicides.
Every year, almost one million people die from suicide, or one death every 40 seconds. For every person who completes a suicide, 20 or more may attempt to end their lives.
In the last 45 years, suicide rates have increased by 60 percent worldwide. While mental disorders (particularly depression and alcohol use) are a major risk factor for suicide in Europe and North America; however, in Asian countries impulsiveness plays an important role.
With a suicide rate of 22.23 people out of every 100,000 as reported on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s website, China has one of the highest suicide rates in the world, similar to Lithuania, Finland, Latvia, Hungary, Japan, and Kazakhstan.
About 287,000 people kill themselves in this populous country ever year – especially among the 15 to 34 years old age group – while about two million try to commit suicide annually.
Extreme pressure in school and in finding employment were major reasons behind the high rate of suicide among China’s youths, said Chinese state media, while rural areas accounted for a three times higher suicide rate compared to urban centers.
On World Suicide Prevention Day, the sponsoring International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) and co-sponsor World Health Organization (WHO) hope to use this occasion to raise awareness that suicide is a major preventable cause of premature death.
The theme in 2011 is “Preventing Suicide in Multicultural Societies,” to address the need for sensitivity when discussing taboos, religion and spirituality, and family dynamics in a country’s suicide prevention efforts.
However, the IASP cautions that cultural differences may conceal other risk factors for suicide, such as unemployment, poverty, oppression, marginalization, stigmatization, or racism.
These risk factors need to be tackled at both the community and governmental level, the IASP said, using an innovative, comprehensive multi-sectoral approach through education, labor policies, politics, religion, and the media.
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Source: World Health Organization.
Disclaimer: This article does not necessarily reflect the views of AsianScientist or its staff.
