World Suicide Prevention Day 2021

World Suicide Prevention Day takes place on September 10th every year to raise global awareness and encourage worldwide commitment to prevent suicide.

Suicide remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Nearly 700,000 people die by suicide each year. Most suicides occur in the presence of mental disorders such as depression and psychosis, and substance misuse, which are the most common risk factors.

The COVID-19 crisis has increased risk factors for suicide, including increased anxiety and stress symptoms, social isolation, reduced access to healthcare services, and changing work structures. The prolonged pandemic continues to remind us that mental health is deeply interconnected with a range of social determinants – how we live, work, and interact with one another.

The EU-funded project “Mental Health Promotion and Intervention in Occupational Settings (MENTUPP)” is targeting some of the factors by promoting and addressing mental health and wellbeing in Small and Medium Sized Enterprises, which comprise more than 90% of all EU businesses. The MENTUPP project is a joint endeavour of multidisciplinary experts from occupational sectors associated with high levels of mental health problems and suicide, including construction, health, and Information Communications Technology.

With World Suicide Prevention Day approaching, the MENTUPP consortium encourages organizations and other stakeholders to share information and experiences that can contribute to advance our understanding of improving mental health and preventing suicidal behaviour.

Together, we can ‘create hope through action’.

For more information on World Suicide Prevention Day and suicide prevention, please visit the following websites:

World Suicide Prevention Day – International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP)

Suicide Prevention – World Health Organization (WHO)

For further information on the MENTUPP project, please see: MENTUPP 

 

This project has received funding from the European Union 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 848137. The material presented and views expressed here are the responsibility of the author(s) only. The EU Commission takes no responsibility for any use made of the information set out.