uicide is a huge but largely preventable public health problem, said Brian Mishara, president of the International Association for Suicide Prevention, on Monday.
"Suicide occurs in all ages and suicide prevention and intervention strategies can be adapted to meet the needs of different age groups," he said at a press conference to commemorate the Fifth World Suicide Prevention Day, which falls on Monday.
The theme "Suicide across the Lifespan" had been chosen because suicide took place among children as well as those well into their 80s and 90s.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Association for Suicide Prevention had started a global projection to try and ensure safer storage of pesticides, the use of which constitutes the most frequent form of suicide, and other lethal materials, he said.
It was also important to improve control of access to the means of suicide, and to limit the number of tablets and other poisonous materials available in the home. Treatment of mental health problems was another important aspect of prevention, he said.
He said one of the most serious challenges worldwide was to convince men to seek treatment of mental problems, adding that, in most countries outside Asia -- where the ratio was more balanced -- three or four men died by suicide to each woman who killed herself.
Men tended not to discuss or consult about mental illness, or they waited until it was too late to seek help. They also sought psychological evaluation less frequently than women.
Mishara said some people felt it was normal to feel unhappy or depressed as one grew older, but research had shown that the elderly responded better to prevention measures than all other age groups.
The suicide rate among older persons was quite low, except in some developed countries, he added.
Source: Xinhua
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