World Suicide Prevention & World Suicide Prevention Day

World suicide prevention is an initiative taken on by the World Health Organization and the International Association for Suicide Prevention. The International Association for Suicide Prevention is the sponsor of world suicide prevention day which will take place on September 10, 2009. World suicide prevention is an extremely important cause, as the World Health Organization stated that in 2000 one million people died due to suicide, this number has only increased. To put this number into perspective, it is 1 person dying every 40 seconds due to suicide. World suicide prevention is an issue that needs to be taken seriously, for this reason the International Association for Suicide Prevention in partnership with the World Health Organization has deemed one day a year World Suicide Prevention Day.

World Suicide Prevention Day is known worldwide, and there are memorials, talks, and other advocacy and fundraising related events that take place on this day to reiterate the importance of this horrific phenomenon. World suicide prevention and World Suicide Prevention Day are absolutely necessary as statistics from the World Health Organization state that in the last 45 years suicide rates have increased by 60% worldwide and is now among the tree leading causes of death among those aged 15-44 years old. These are the number of deaths that have occurred due to suicide, the number for suicide attempts is up to 20 times more.

Though there are suicide prevention measures in each country and various advocacy and awareness actions are present; it is important that a world suicide prevention exists as the International Association of Suicide Prevention does research to distinguish sociocultural factors and many other aspects that are specific to certain countries, regions, and cultures.

Researches and those active in world suicide prevention focus on aspects such as family, employment, culture to see what prompts people to attempt or commit suicide. World suicide prevention is also extremely important as there are places in the world where there aren't a plethora of organizations fighting for suicide prevention, or counselors readily available to assist those in a time of need. Furthermore, small villages in Africa also do not have 24 hours a day suicide hotlines that are easily accessible. This is the reason for World Suicide Prevention Day, as it makes the issue a global initiative and alerts those who are not aware in other countries about what a serious issue suicide prevention is and how those in other countries may not have the same resources that we in the United States or in other countries in the Western world are privileged to have.

World Suicide Prevention Day is a day recognized globally because according to the World Health Organization and the International Association for Suicide Prevention, the approach to combat this problem is to think globally and act nationally. World Suicide Prevention Day is much like World AIDS Day as it publicizes an issue on a global level and people begin to view it in a different light. A World Suicide Prevention Day that is supported by the World Health Organization also legitimizes the issues and puts it on the same playing field as other issues. World Suicide Prevention Day is recognized globally, so if you or someone you know has contemplated, attempted, or survived suicide this is your day to honor life. If you have lost somebody to suicide it is your day to reach out to others as well as commemorate the loss of a loved one. Lastly, World Suicide Prevention Day also provides a venue for professionals of different sorts to communicate regarding this issue to see if they can break any barriers.