September 10: World Suicide Prevention Day

September 10: World Suicide Prevention Day

Worldwide, it is estimated that one suicide occurs every 40 seconds and one attempt every three seconds, amounting to one million deaths by suicide each year, one million lives lost.

The numbers are stark: more people die by suicide than from wars and natural disasters combined. When including the immediate families and loved ones affected, the toll rises to 10 million people grieving every year.

World Suicide Prevention Day, marked on September 10, aims to raise public awareness of the scale of the issue and inform people about the preventive actions available to them. Hugo Fournier, CEO of the Quebec Association for Suicide Prevention (AQPS), spoke about this year’s chosen theme for this important day:

This day also serves as a moment for collective awareness. Again, Hugo Fournier comments:

The full (French-language) interview with Hugo Fournier, conducted by Nathalie Vasiloff, is available here.