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A MAJOR REPORT on suicide prevention by the World Health Organisation has found that 800,000 people die by suicide every year – that’s one person every 40 seconds.
The report, the first of its kind by WHO, recommends that governments adopt a coordinated response to the issue of suicide, incorporating sectors from health to education to social welfare.
Only 28 countries were found to have national suicide prevention strategies.
“This report is a call for action to address a large public health problem which has been shrouded in taboo for far too long” Dr Margaret Chan, WHO’s Director-General, said.
The report notes that suicide is a global phenomenon, varying from country to country due to factors such as socio-economic status, but it is preventable.
While WHO noted that reducing access to the means of suicide is one method, it can also involve responsible media reporting, identification of potential issues by health workers, and by “essential” follow-up contact for those who have attempted suicide, combined with community support.
Dr Alexandra Fleischmann, Scientist in the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse at WHO, said that regardless of how advanced a country’s progress is in terms of suicide prevention, “effective measures can be taken, even just starting at local level and on a small-scale”.
The report found that suicide rates are highest in those aged 70 and over – in low- and middle-income countries, women over 70 are twice as likely to die by suicide than those in younger age brackets – but that it is also the second leading cause of death in young adults aged between 15 and 29.
This is the first time WHO has published a report involving a comprehensive review of suicide statistics across the world and successful suicide prevention measures, and comes ahead of World Suicide Prevention Day on 10 September.
Helplines
Samaritans 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org
Console 1800 247 247 – (suicide prevention, self-harm, bereavement)
Aware 1890 303 302 (depression anxiety)
Pieta House 01 601 0000 or email mary@pieta.ie - (suicide, self-harm, bereavement)
Teen-Line Ireland 1800 833 634 (for ages 13 to 19)
Childline 1800 66 66 66 (for under 18s)
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One upon a time. The Coronavirus. The end.
I knew it. The Journal.ie and RTE are all the one.
@Manbackonboard: …ahhhh stapppp…. We live in a very independent and accountable society….. How’s me story tell’in so far….
@Manbackonboard: television and the internet gives us a window on the world, so why is the journal associating with the Free speech deniers in rte
Once upon a time, a man asked a woman to marry him. She said no and he lived happily ever after.
The end.
@John Fairclough: I think you’ll find she forever more had a clean peaceful house, with no football on the TV, no dirty socks on the floor and lived even more happily ever after than he did.
It all started on one of those dark dismal days, clouds hung over the sleepy village ,threatening their menace at any minute.. Patrick walked through the deserted main street, up past the old ruins beside Mcgintys pub…”should I go in” he asks himself…the cold wind picking up and whipping the turf smoke from the pub up through the town..”maybe I will, later” …”after I come back down from voting Sinn Fein and pissing off FG and FF ….and RTE…feck them all anyway, they are the best story tellers I’ve ever come across….
My girlfriends 4 foot 9.
@Luke Lee: very tall for a 12 year old
Once upon a time . The End . Sign me up
@Ríain HenC: You forgot the middle bit.
@Rachel O’ Meara: Damn writers block !
@Ríain HenC: Don’t worry, I hear that happens alot. :)
@Rachel O’ Meara: Phew ! That’s a relief , thought it was just me ;)
This brings me back to a six word story or flash fiction which allowed for a story , the best example of which was “For sale; baby shoes ,never worn”. It is the concept of telling a story in a minimal amount of words.
Stately plump Buck Mulligan blahdy blahdy blah yes I said yes I will yes.
My father always told us this story he had to write for school when he was young. It was titled “A day in the bog”. He started “The day was wet and we didn’t go”. Always made me laugh.
It’s raining again, the end.
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