World Suicide Prevention Day

Every year organisations and communities around the world come together to raise awareness of how we can create a world where fewer people die by suicide.

Each year has a different theme and focus, to bring to light a specific aspect of suicide prevention.

World Suicide Prevention Suicide Day is always on 10 September.

The latest suicides statistics showed that in 2018, in the UK and Republic of Ireland, more than 6,800 people died by suicide. Every life lost to suicide is a tragedy.

And we know that suicide is preventable, it’s not inevitable.

But not being okay is still widely stigmatised. And governments can still make better, more ambitious plans to prevent suicide.

Every year we campaign with over 70 other suicide prevention and mental health groups under the National Suicide Prevention Alliance (NSPA).

Together, we ask governments in the UK and Ireland to make suicide prevention a priority, and help raise awareness about how we can each support each other better.

This year’s theme, which will be the theme until 2023, is ‘Creating Hope Through Action’, which aims to empower people with the confidence to engage with the complexity of ‘hope’.

On the day we will be asking people to share the things that they do which helps them feel hopeful when they’re going through a difficult time. For example:

• Reaching out for a coffee with my best mate
• Taking a walk in the fields and letting the wind blow everything away
• Go for a run along the seafront

There are lots of ways you can support World Suicide Prevention Day. Over the upcoming weeks, we will be working on content for you to share on the day. Keep an eye out on this page for downloadable resources and supportive content to share online and help raise awareness of suicide prevention.