7 September 2022
More than 60 countries worldwide observe Suicide Prevention Day on September 10 this year. The Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia joins with Suicide Prevention Australia in calling upon all Australians to remember those we have lost to suicide, those who have attempted suicide, and those who are living with the grief of losing someone.
To promote a message of action, Suicide Prevention Australia has provided a number of World Suicide Prevention Day Resources, free to download from their website. Additionally, Lifeline, the national charity that provides crisis support for distressed Australians, is calling on Australians to participate in the ‘Out of The Shadows Walk’ on September 10.
It’s estimated that 703,000 people around the world take their lives each year. In Australia, almost 10 million people know someone who has felt the impact of suicide, and it’s estimated that more than 500,000 Australians have attempted suicide at some point in their lives.
According to the State of the Nation in Suicide Prevention survey for 2022, 70% of Australians have experienced elevated distress compared to last year. The issue of cost-of-living and personal debt is ranked the biggest risk to rising suicide rates over the next 12 months by both the public (68%) and by the suicide prevention sector (74%).
Suicide Prevention Australia CEO Nieves Murray said that this is the first time that an economic issue has overtaken social issues like drugs, loneliness and family breakdown.
We all have a role to play in preventing suicide. Whether it is on World Suicide Prevention Day or any day of the year.
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