World Suicide Prevention Day 2024

Sep 10, 2024

Today, Tuesday, September 10, is World Suicide Prevention Day. This day is an opportunity to remember the lives of those we’ve lost to suicide and raise awareness for suicide prevention. This year, our focus is on ‘Shaping our future.’ Download this year’s poster

To honour the day, we have released an article outlining practical steps anyone can take to prevent suicide, a new toolkit: Safety plans to prevent suicide for Indigenous youth and their caregivers, and we are also offering free workshops.

The Government of Alberta will, once again, declare September 10, 2024, as World Suicide Prevention Day. Click here to view the Declaration.

Here’s what you can do to help prevent suicide.

We all have a role to play in suicide prevention. It requires a multi-pronged approach that involves the actions of individuals, governments, institutions, workplaces, schools, communities, and society as a whole. As individuals, there are simple steps we can all take to help prevent death by suicide.

Pay attention

Learn the warning signs for suicide and pay attention to the people around you. Any noticeable change in someone’s behaviour is a warning sign that they might not be doing well. This includes:

• Not texting or calling as much
• Drinking or smoking more than usual
• Appearing tired or distant
• Talking about how much life sucks
• Being more irritable or angry

Reach out

Learn how to have a conversation with someone who is thinking about suicide.
If someone you know is exhibiting warning signs:

• Mention what you’ve noticed; be specific: “I haven’t heard from you much these days. Is everything okay?”
• Ask questions and listen to what the person is saying.
• Resist the urge to offer solutions.
• Support them. Acknowledge their feelings are valid and let them know that you’re there to support them: “That sounds really hard. But thank you for telling me. Can you tell me more about it? I’m here for you.”
• Who else have they told? Encourage them to reach out to others.
• Still worried? Ask directly: “Are you thinking about suicide?”
• If they say yes, don’t panic.
• Let them know you are there for them and connect them with readily accessible mental health supports, including 988, the Canada-wide Suicide Crisis Helpline.
• If they have immediate plans to die, call 911 and ensure they are not left alone.

Connect someone to help

Learn what resources are available. In Canada, 211.ca is a resources for community services, and the Suicide Crisis Helpline is available 24/7; call or text 988.

Want to go further?

• Create a safety plan with a person who is thinking about suicide
• Learn to do a suicide intervention with the 2-day ASIST training

What else can you do to prevent suicide?

Break down stigma

Use language that de-stigmatizes suicide. This helps create a non-judgmental, safe environment for someone who may be struggling, or someone who has lost someone to suicide. Learn more about safe language in this resource.

Learn more

• Read our free resources to learn more about how suicide can be prevented.
• Attend workshops about suicide prevention and intervention.

Raise awareness

• Raise awareness about suicide and its prevention by having open and non-judgmental conversations with friends and family and in your communities. For example, you can raise awareness by talking to friends and family about what you’ve learned in this article!
• Join in the Run for Life to remember the people we’ve lost to suicide and raise awareness for suicide prevention. The 7^th annual Run for Life is taking place Sept. 21-28, 2024. Register today!
• Become a Buddy Up Champion. Men die by suicide at a rate 3 times higher than women but it doesn’t have to be this way. Buddy Up is a campaign by men, for me, that encourages men to have authentic conversations with their buddies. Champions raise awareness for suicide prevention by engaging their communities with Buddy Up campaign materials and more!