Today is World Suicide Prevention Day - here’s how to get help and look out for others

There are resources available to those who might be struggling (Photo: Shutterstock)

This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement.

World Suicide Prevention Day strives to create awareness around suicide prevention.

This is what you need to know about how to get help, or how to offer help to someone you think might be struggling.

What is World Suicide Prevention Day?

World Suicide Prevention Day takes place on 10 September 2020, and this year’s theme is ‘Working Together to Prevent Suicide.’

Suicide prevention charity, The Samaritans, explains, “Every year, organisations and communities around the world comes together to raise awareness of how we can create a world where fewer people die by suicide.”

World Suicide Prevention Day is important because, in 2018, in the UK and Republic of Ireland, more than 6,800 people died of suicide.

“Not being okay is still widely stigmatised,” The Samaritans explain, meaning that those struggling with mental health problems find it difficult to seek help.

The latest statistics from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has shown that male suicide is at a two decade high in England and Wales.

In 2019, 5,691 deaths were attributed to suicide in England and Wales, a rate consistent with that recorded in 2018.

In Scotland, the NHS Information Services Division (ISD) said that there were 784 probable suicides in 2018, an increase from 680 in 2017.

National mental health charity Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH) called these figures “devastating.”

What help is available for those struggling?

For those that are struggling with their mental health, there is a wide variety of resources that are available that can help.

The NHS has a large list of mental health charities and their contact details that you might find helpful, including: