World Suicide Prevention Day

 10 September

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Every year on September 10, the World Health Organization (WHO), with the support of the International Association for Suicide Prevention, celebrates World Suicide Prevention Day .

Suicide (suicide) is an action with a fatal result that was intentionally initiated and carried out by the deceased in the knowledge and expectation of a fatal result. According to WHO, suicide is the 13th leading cause of death worldwide, and in the age range from 15 to 44 years its importance rises to fourth place. In 2000, according to various sources, from 815 thousand to 1 million people worldwide committed suicide, which gave an annual mortality rate from suicide of about 14.5/100,000 people. Moreover, there is reason to believe that the rate of reported suicides remains underestimated by 20%, and in some regions of the world by 100%, as a result of prevailing social or religious views on suicide.

Suicide is a very significant moral and economic problem. The global economic cost of suicide in 1998 was 1.8% of the global burden of disease and will be 2.4% by 2020, when the number of people dying from suicide will reach 1,530,000 per year. In the Republic of Belarus, suicide is the leading cause of death in working age from external causes (1286 thousand people – mortality from suicide; 1140 – mortality from alcohol poisoning; 739 mortality from accidents associated with vehicles). Mortality from suicide exceeds mortality from road accidents and fires combined (1742 deaths from suicides; 1507 deaths from road accidents; 48 deaths from fires).

The socio-economic burden of suicide has been calculated internationally [InselN.R. 2008; McDuid D., Kenmeily B., 2009]. In 2001, in terms of contribution to YLL (the indicator of years of life lost due to premature death), suicide closed the ranks of the 10 leading causes of death, along with road traffic accidents [WHO. 2001], in 2004 they took eighth place in terms of persons 15-44 years old [WHO, 2008]. In 25 countries of the European Union, suicides of persons under 75 years of age accounted for 30% of YLL due to external causes; the main “contribution” of deaths occurs due to suicides at the age of 20-55 at the peak of social life [EuropeanProject, ANAMORT, 2008].

The global goal of World Suicide Prevention Day is to reduce the level of suicides and suicide attempts among the population in all countries through the implementation of activities aimed at preventing suicidal behavior of the population, combining the efforts of many ministries, departments, local executive and administrative bodies, public associations, and religious denominations. Prevention of suicidal behavior is one of the most important tasks of society, the implementation of which is possible only by integrating the efforts of many departments into a single preventive strategy.

WHO's leading strategy for reducing the risk of suicide is to identify specific risk groups in the population and identify the specific problems and needs in each of these groups.

Currently, the Republic of Belarus has developed a set of measures to prevent suicidal behavior for 2015-2019, which provides for preventive work with various categories of the population, including children and adolescents, as well as the active involvement of local executive bodies in participating in the organization of this work. Despite the expansion of the scale of suicide prevention activities, the problem of suicide for the republic continues to be relevant and requires increased attention to the prevention of suicides in the general population and in hospitals, as well as to the identification of parasuicides, their registration and the timely involvement of parasuicides in providing the necessary assistance. It should be noted that a comprehensive state program for suicide prevention can only be effective if the joint implementation of organizational, social, economic and medical measures based on the results of scientific research.

The group at maximum risk of suicide in Belarus are men of working age, especially those over 45 years of age. Medical factors such as depression and alcohol dependence significantly increase the risk in this subgroup. As a rule, this category of the population does not seek specialized medical care, which is associated not only with prejudices existing in society, but also with insufficient information among the population about the possibility and conditions for receiving psychological and psychotherapeutic help. In this regard, a positive role in suicide prevention can be played by informing the population about the availability of specialized help in case of experiencing a psychological crisis (specific information about symptoms, specialists, the possibility of anonymous consultation), and increasing the level of knowledge on the problems of crisis and suicide of those specialists who enter in contact with a large number of people (teachers, university professors, social workers, psychologists, etc.).

Our country has achieved some success in suicide prevention. Since 1995 to 2005 the suicide rate in the general population did not fall below 30.0 cases per 100,000 population. In 2006 The suicide rate dropped below 30.0 for the first time and amounted to 29.0 cases per 100,000 population. Since 2007, over five years, the suicide rate has decreased by 8.5 cases per 100,000 population and for the first time in the history of official registration, the level of suicide in 2014 in the general population of the republic became less than 20.0 cases per 100,000 population -18.3 ( 2013 - 20.1). This positive trend has continued over the past few years.

Indicators of suicides committed in the republic in 2014. compared to 2013 decreased in all population groups:

  • in the general population - by 8.7%, with a decrease in the relative indicator from 20.1 to 18.3 cases per 100,000 population;
  • in the general urban population - by 3.8%, with a decrease in the relative indicator from 13.2 to 12.6 cases per 100,000 urban population;
  • in the general rural population - by 23.7%, with a decrease in the relative indicator from 42.2 to 37.2 cases per 100,000 rural population.

Indicators of suicides committed in the general population of working age of the republic in 2014. compared to 2013 decreased by 1.7%, while maintaining the level of the relative indicator from 15.5 to 14.7 per 100,000 population.

Considering the urgency of the problem, specialists from the Ministry of Health have developed and approved Instructions for recognizing suicidal risk factors, suicidal signs and an algorithm of actions when identifying them for medical and social workers, teachers, psychologists, law enforcement officers, military personnel, and media workers.

The state institution “Republican Scientific and Practical Center for Mental Health” has opened two inpatient psychoneurological departments for the treatment of crisis conditions, and operates free telephone hotlines to provide psychological assistance to people in difficult life situations (telephone numbers 8801100 16 11; 8801100 21 21 ).

Similar telephone lines for providing emergency psychological assistance operate at health care institutions “City Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychoneurological Dispensary” in Minsk - 246 03 03, “City Clinical Psychoneurological Dispensary” in Minsk - 290 44 44; other health care institutions (information about telephone numbers is available on the website of the Ministry of Health www. minzdrav.gov.by).

Providing assistance to a person in a crisis situation is impossible without the participation of specialists such as a psychotherapist and psychologist. The republic has ensured wide availability of psychotherapeutic assistance to the population, the provision of which is constantly being improved. The basics of providing psychological assistance to the population of the Republic of Belarus are legislatively enshrined in the Law of the Republic of Belarus of July 1, 2010 “On the provision of psychological assistance” and regulations of the Ministry of Health.

The problem of suicidal behavior is complex and multifaceted. A person’s final choice in a crisis situation is influenced by many different factors.

The comprehensive approach to suicide prevention implemented in the Republic of Belarus demonstrates an example of effective interdepartmental interaction in solving complex social issues that require the participation of various state and public institutions, consolidating the efforts of society as a whole to achieve the most important task - stabilizing the population of our country.

Chief freelance specialist

Ministry of Health

Republic of Belarus in psychology and psychotherapy I.A. Baykova

List of telephone numbers for emergency psychological assistance “Helpline” by region of the Republic of Belarus

1. Brest region

  • Brest 170 (round the clock and free for residents of Brest and the Brest region)
  • Pinsk 80165 311038 (24 hours a day).
  • Baranovichi 80163 412831 (from 10.00 to 17.00).

2. Vitebsk region

  • Novopolotsk 80214 371375 (8.00 - 17.00)
  • Polotsk 80214 432220 (8.00 - 20.00)
  • Orsha 80216 210019 (8.00 - 20.00)
  • Vitebsk 80212 61-60-60 (24 hours)

3. Gomel region

  • Gomel 80232 359191 (24 hours)

4. Grodno region

  • Grodno 170 (24 hours a day and free for residents of Grodno and the Grodno region)

5. Minsk

  • for adults 8017 2904444 (24 hours)
  • for children and teenagers 80172460303 (24 hours a day)

6. Minsk region

  • Borisov 0177 734463 (15.00-17.00)
  • Vileika 0171 51498 (8.00-16.00)
  • Molodechno 01713 54644 (20.00-8.00)
  • Molodechno 01713 47191 (20.00-8.00)
  • Slutsk 0175 53110 (9.00-17.00)
  • Soligorsk 0170 30298 (13.30-15.30)
  • Zhodino 01775 34846 (Mon., Wed., Fri. 16.00-20.00; Tue., Thu. 8.00-12.00)

7. Mogilev region

  • Mogilev 80222 47 31 61 (24 hours a day)