Suicide has thus become a “major public health problem which must be tackled imperatively, without further delay”, according to the WHO. It is therefore in a logic of prevention that the Organization has wondered about the reasons which push some to commit suicide, but also about their origins, their age or their sex.
No country or age group is spared from suicide. However, the highest suicide rates are recorded among seniors over 70 in almost all regions of the world. There is also a peak among young adults since suicide is the second leading cause of death among 15-29 year olds.
While suicide is a phenomenon that affects all regions of the world, the poorest countries are on the front line: 75% of suicides took place in low- and middle-income countries in 2012, including 39% in Southeast Asia. (which represents only 26% of the world’s population). Suicide was responsible for 1.4% of deaths worldwide, making it the fifteenth leading cause of death.
Men are more concerned by suicide, particularly in developed countries since they concern 1 in 3 suicides (compared to 1.5 in the rest of the world).
Most of the time, people commit suicide by swallowing insecticides, by hanging or by shooting.
The reasons that push a person to suicide are varied: depression, alcoholism, mental problems, sexual violence, etc.
And in France ?
Each year, the Ministry of Health publishes suicide data in France. According to the latest report published in July 2014, nearly 10,500 people die each year by suicide, which is almost three times more than deaths from traffic accidents. Approximately 220,000 suicide attempts are treated by hospital emergencies.
Young people are particularly affected: suicide is the leading cause of death for 25-34 year olds (20% of all deaths in this age group).
What means of action?
For the WHO, the use of the internet and social media could “constitute a universal suicide prevention strategy”.
“Online discussion forums with professionals dedicated to suicidal people, self-help programs and online therapy are the best examples of a virtual suicide prevention strategy,” the WHO concludes in its report.
