Limiting access to pesticides and firearms, among the most common methods of suicide globally, can help reduce the number of people taking their own lives, according to a latest WHO report.
More than 800,000 people die by suicide every year, according to WHO’s first global report on suicide prevention, which found that pesticide poisoning, hanging and firearms are among the most common methods of suicide globally.
Evidence from Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, the U.S. and a number of European countries shows that limiting access to these means can help prevent people dying by suicide.
“There is no single explanation of why people die by suicide. However, many suicides happen impulsively and, in such circumstances, easy access to a means of suicide -- such as pesticides or firearms -- can make the difference as to whether a person lives or dies,” the report said.
Another key to reducing deaths by suicide, WHO said, is a commitment by national governments to the establishment and implementation of a coordinated plan of action.
Currently, only 28 countries are known to have national suicide prevention strategies.
Suicide occurs all over the world and can take place at almost any age. Globally, suicide rates are highest in people aged 70 years and over.
In some countries, however, the highest rates are found among the young. Notably, suicide is the second leading cause of death in 15-29 year-olds globally.
Some 75 per cent of suicides occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
“One of the key methods of suicide in LMICs, particularly in countries with a high proportion of rural residents engaged in small-scale agriculture, is pesticide self-poisoning. A systematic review of world data for 1990-2007 estimated that around 30 per cent (plausible range 27-37 per cent) of global suicides are due to pesticide self-poisoning, most of which occur in LMICs,” said WHO.
Other effective measures include responsible reporting of suicide in the media, such as avoiding language that sensationalises suicide and avoiding explicit description of methods used, and early identification and management of mental and substance use disorders in communities and by health workers in particular, the report said.
Follow-up care by health workers through regular contact, including by phone or home visits, for people who have attempted suicide, together with provision of community support, are essential, because people who have already attempted suicide are at the greatest risk of trying again.
