Suicide prevention is a public health priority. I don’t think we need the World Health Organization or any other organization to tell us that. We all know that suicide is a major health problem. It is deeply painful for everyone affected by it.
What we do need is for the WHO and other organizations to continue their work in trying to prevent suicide. We also need individuals, professionals and communities to use the resources provided by the experts. Suicide is preventable at many levels: directly with the individual, within families and communities as well as national and global levels.
Globally, over 700,000 people die of suicide yearly. The U.S. rate of suicide was 50,000 in 2022. Per the CDC, this is an all-time high. It is an increase of 2.6% from 2021. In reference to this alarming statistic, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy stated, “Mental health has become a defining public health and societal challenge of our time.” He suggests that “we further expand access to mental health care, address root causes of mental health struggles and recognize the importance of checking on and supporting one another.”
