To build a Europe without suicide, governments must act now
10 October 2019
To build a Europe without suicide, governments must act now
Europe has the highest suicide rate in the world. Yet, only 10 Member States in the European Union have suicide prevention strategies. By incorporating prevention into national health, education and labour programmes, we can stop suicide and save tens of thousands of lives each year.
Brussels, 10 October 2019 – Thursday, 10th October 2019 marks World Mental Health Day. The theme selected for this year’s Day is suicide prevention. According to the World Health Organisation, every 40 seconds someone loses their life to suicide. Globally, over 800 000 people die of suicide every year. For every suicide, 25 other people make a suicide attempt. Suicide is the second leading cause of death in 15−29-year-olds.
Despite Europe being the region with the highest suicide in the world, only 10 EU Member states have a national prevention strategy in place. In a call to mark World Mental Health Day 2019, Mental Health Europe (MHE) urges national governments to act and the EU to take the lead in supporting Member States:
To develop and implement national prevention plans and strategies to tackle suicide and suicide attempts
To raise public awareness and understanding of mental health
To invest in programmes, integrated services and community support.
“The social, emotional, and economic costs of suicide pose a significant burden on our society. Only by implementing effective preventive strategies we can improve the situation and reverse the trend. To achieve success, we need governments to act, and the EU to take the lead in coordinating these actions.” – Jan Berndsen, President of Mental Health Europe
Ahead of the World Mental Health Day, the event’s host Julie Ward MEP (S&D, United Kingdom) said: “The European Union can no longer afford to neglect mental health and wellbeing of its citizens. Our individual and collective wellbeing has not been properly addressed for far too long and this is a matter that affects us all at some point in our lives. A comprehensive Mental Health Strategy for Europe, with a gender perspective, should be a priority for the new Commission and Parliament. Doing nothing will only result in more and more people suffering in silence, the victims of service cuts and stigma. The effects of poor mental health take a toll on our economy. We need to take stock of reality and invest in prevention and wellbeing as well as more co-production and people-centred treatments that fully respect the social model of disability.”
The event’s co-host Sara Cerdas MEP (S&D, Portugal) added: “Discussing mental health is crucial if we want to reduce stigma and discrimination. Suicide is a public health challenge counting over 60 000 deaths within the European Union each year. It is urgent to elaborate better strategies to implement programmes that promote mental health and wellbeing. We must support member states in increasing mental healthcare services and social support accessibility according to population needs, and have special attention to vulnerable populations.”
You can follow the event discussions from 14:00 CET on 10 October 2019 via #WMHDEU. See the event highlights here.
###
For more information and for media requests, please contact Tetiana Sykes (+32 2 227 27 09 / Tetiana.Sykes[at]mhe-sme.org)
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However you may visit Cookie Settings to provide a controlled consent. To read more about Cookies and Privacy Policy please go to this page.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.