Today is World Suicide Prevention Day

The number of people worldwide who die from suicide is declining but one person still kills themselves every 40 seconds, according to new figures from the World Health Organization. Between 2010 and 2016, the global suicide rate decreased by 9.8%. The only region to see an increase was the Americas. The W-H-O said close to 800,000 people die by suicide every year, more than those lost to malaria, breast cancer, or war and homicide, calling it a “serious global public health issue.” It said only 38 countries had suicide prevention strategies. Worldwide, more men killed themselves than women. The only countries where the suicide rate was estimated to be higher in women than men were Bangladesh, China, Lesotho, Morocco, and Myanmar. The Nation Suicide prevention hotline is 1-800-273-8255