Suicide Prevention Resources For Those In Crisis

There's help all over the world if you know where to find it.
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The world lost two beloved people this week with the tragic deaths of celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain and fashion designer Kate Spade.

Bourdain, restaurateur and host of CNN’s “Parts Unknown,” died in a hotel in Kaysersberg, France, at age 61. Just three days earlier, 55-year-old Spade, known for her modern handbags and womenswear, was found dead in her Park Avenue apartment in New York City.

Bourdain and Spade both reportedly died by suicide, sadly illustrating how mental health struggles can affect anyone. Suicide is an irreversible course of action ― but thinking about it is not. There’s help available around the world in multiple forms, including through hotlines and messaging services.

“We know that they work,” Dan Reidenberg, executive director of Suicide Awareness Voices of Education, told HuffPost. “The value of someone who is struggling reaching out is that they’ll receive the type of help they need in a timely way. It can get them through the worst crisis that they’re in. It’s very effective, and it saves lives.”

If you or someone you know needs help, here are some useful resources:

Australia

According to crisis support charity Lifeline, suicide is the leading cause of death for Australians ages 15 to 44. Australia is one of many countries that recognizes World Suicide Prevention Day on Sept. 10, and this year’s theme is “Take a minute, change a life.”

To get help in Australia, call Lifeline at 13-11-14. Young people ages 5 to 25 can call the Kids Helpline at 1800-55-1800.

Brazil

Brazil’s Ministry of Health has deemed suicide a public health problem and says it takes one life every hour. A suicide prevention hotline implemented in 2017 provides free, confidential support to anyone who needs it.

The Brazil Suicide Hotline can be reached at 21-233-9191. There are also online chats and other resources at the Life Valuation Center, which can be reached by dialing 188 or 141.

Canada

Since 1981, the Centre for Suicide Prevention, a branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association, has offered free suicide prevention services, noting that “prevention is the only solution to suicide.”

The crisis center is available 24 hours a day via a toll-free phone number. Anyone who is thinking about suicide or has been affected by suicide can call 1-833-456-4566 (or 4357), text 45645 or connect to crisis services here.

France

According to the World Health Organization and the Center for Epidemiology on the Medical Causes of Death, an estimated 10,000 people die by suicide each year in France. Hospital emergency rooms handle more than 200,000 suicide attempts every year, according to clinical research.

Suicide Listening, an organization founded in 1994 and dedicated to suicide prevention, provides a 24-hour “listening line” that can be reached at 01-45-39-40-00.

Germany

The Federal Statistical Office of Germany conducted a 2013 study that determined there were at least 136,583 suicides from 1998 to 2010 ― and it found a notable increase from 2007 to 2010. Attributing the rise to several factors, including economic crisis and changes in the prevalence of depression, the researchers stressed the importance of early intervention.

TelefonSeelsorge, an organization that receives support from evangelical and Catholic churches, claims to have 7,500 trained volunteers on hand to assist anyone in crisis. They offer 24-hour telephone service and on-site counseling.

There are two hotline numbers available for callers: 0800-111-0-111 and 0800-111-0-222.

Greece

The prolonged economic crisis in Greece is thought to be a root cause of suicides in the country. However, a 2015 Greek-British scientific study, according to The Greek Reporter, notes that Greece has one of the lowest suicide rates among developed countries.

Since 2007, Klimaka, an organization staffed by mental health professionals, has hosted Greece’s only intervention hotline. It can be contacted 24 hours a day at 1018. It also operates a day center that offers on-site intervention and crisis management.

India

In India, 133,623 people died by suicide in 2015, according to the National Crime Records Bureau. In a January report, The Times of India attributed these suicide deaths to the absence of proper mental health care and a failure to recognize mental and psychosocial issues.

Sneha, a suicide prevention organization, offers support to anyone feeling distressed, depressed or suicidal. It can be contacted via a 24-hour helpline at 91-44-2464-0050.

Italy

Citing the director of Sant’Andrea hospital’s suicide prevention center, Italian news service Adnkronos reported in 2015 that about 4,000 people in Italy die by suicide every year. Experts believe the number rises and falls with the state of the economy.

Telefono Amico Italia was established in 1967 and offers support to “anyone who feels loneliness, anguish, sadness, despair, anger [or] unease,” according to its website. Crisis help is available 24/7 and can be contacted anonymously at 199-284-284.

Japan

In Japan, once known for a relatively high suicide rate, the National Police Agency in 2016 reported a drop in suicides for seven straight years. According to The Japan Times, suicides dropped from a high of 34,427 deaths in 2003 to 21,764 in 2016, which the Japanese Health Ministry attributed to local governments implementing prevention plans. Officials announced a goal to reduce the number of suicides to 16,000 or fewer by 2025.

The TELL Lifeline offers free, anonymous telephone counseling at 03-5774-0992.

Mexico

The suicide rate in Mexico has been increasing in recent years, according to Mexico’s National Office of Statistics and Geography. The agency reported that suicides rose from 5,909 in 2015 to 6,370 in 2016, the most recent data available, and found that suicide was more common among men.

Mexico has a suicide prevention hotline that can be reached at 525-510-2550.

South Africa

In February, The Rosebank Killarney Gazette reported that South Africa has a suicide rate of 10.7 per 100,000 people. An analyst from the Institute of Race Relations told the Gazette there is a strong need for better suicide prevention and intervention measures, and listed economic hardship as one of the possible factors behind the country’s suicide rate.

The South African Depression And Anxiety Group operates a suicide crisis helpline that can be reached at 0 800 567 567.

Spain

The National Statistics Agency in Spain found in 2016 that the country’s suicide rate rose 20 percent in the last 20 years, according to The Local. Since the release of the statistics, health care providers have put increased pressure on the government to develop preventive campaigns.

The Samaritans in Spain offers a 24-hour support line, which can be reached at 900-525-100.

United Kingdom

According to the Office for National Statistics, suicides are on the decline in Britain. In 2015, 6,188 people died by suicide, whereas that number dropped to 5,965 in 2016.

People in the U.K. can call Samaritans at 116-123 for crisis help.

United States

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released a report that shows a rise in deaths by suicide in the U.S. The CDC found that, from 1999 to 2016, the annual rate of suicide rose by nearly 30 percent for people over age 10. Gizmodo reported that in 2016, the latest year for which national data are available, there were almost 45,000 suicides ― more than twice the number of homicides that same year.

If you or someone you know needs help, call (800) 273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. You can also text HOME to 741741 to access free, 24-hour support from the Crisis Text Line.

If your country was not listed, please visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention for a database of resources.

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