Suicide kills 1 million a year and rising, reports UN (News Feature)

By Shabtai Gold Sep 9, 2009, 14:36 GMT

Geneva - Every day, an average of 3,000 people commit suicide, and for every one of them another 20 try to end their own lives but fail, statistics from the World Health Organization indicate.

Worldwide suicide rates have increased by 60 per cent over the last five decades, and about 1 million people commit suicide each year at present. The WHO predicts a continued rise in the future.

Geographically, rates are highest in Eastern Europe and Russia, while the highest numbers of suicide are found in Asia, in countries like China, India and Japan.

'In Europe and North American mental disorders are a very important factor,' said Alexandra Fleischmann, an expert with the WHO.

'In those regions, 90 per cent of suicides are due to mental disorders,' she said in a phone interview with the German Press Agency dpa.

In Asia, however, the move to take one's own life tends to be more a result of impulsive decision-making, she said, quoting recent studies.

On Thursday, the United Nations and other forums will mark World Suicide Prevention Day, in an attempt to educate friends and families of people who might make the ultimate decision in their lives that 'suicide can be prevented.'

'There is compelling evidence indicating that adequate prevention can reduce suicide rates,' the WHO said, adding that the problem needed to be tackled also within the confines of different cultures.

For Fleischmann, a key step is teaching people - including doctors - to recognize signs of severe depression, stress, substance abuse in themselves and others.

These signs can include phrases such as 'you are all better off without me,' or 'the world is not worth living in.'

'These are phrases to watch for,' said Fleischmann, even if people tend to shrug off such statements.

When a problem is detected, she says, people need to be aware that they can seek help for their problems. For many, especially owing to the fact that mental illnesses are not always perceived well in some cultures, seeking assistance does not cross their minds or is not an option.

'We need to raise more awareness about this,' Fleischmann said, adding that suicide was a 'complex phenomenon' that required an in depth look by friends, families and doctors.

The WHO said it 'works with governments and other partners such as the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) to ensure that suicide is no longer stigmatized, criminalized or penalized.'

In a publication produced last year, the health agency said that if 'governments commit to defining national responses to prevent suicide, huge progress can be made.'