Volume 6 Issue 9 September, 2016
Connect, Communicate and Care
Suicide’ – In the recent past, a commonly heard ‘breaking news’ in every news channel, sensationalized
in all possible and sometimes inappropriate ways, has become cliché. It is however, not so for the bereaved, as
also for those in the health profession. It is, for us, an issue that bears great importance, and one that we cannot
dismiss lightly. Suicide is moving up constantly in the charts of the leading causes of death and currently ranks
second, in the age group of 15-29, the very group that is the future of every nation. According to WHO, globally,
40 persons commit suicide every second and 25 times more than this number attempt suicide! It is a
multidimensional event, resulting from a complex interaction of bio-psycho-social factors, and not just the result of
mental illness. Many a times, it is an event that can be prevented. Stigma attached to it is immense and poses a
huge hurdle in prevention of the event at the community level. Suicide prevention interventions can be at three
levels: Universal – targeting general population, selective – targeting high risk groups, and indicated –
known/vulnerable cases. We as health professionals have a role in each of these levels, with the maximum
possible contribution in selective interventions. Identifying and reaching out to those who are at risk is of utmost
importance. Hence the theme – “connect, communicate and care” adopted by International association for suicide
prevention (https://www.iasp.info) on this year’s World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10th.
AIIMS, Bubaneshwar (Odisha)
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