By Journal Staff
One person commits suicide every 40 seconds somewhere in the world, according to a World Health Organization report published in Sept. 2014.
The study, which is the first of its kind to chart suicide rates across the globe, found that an estimated 804,000 people killed themselves in 2012, which is partially attributed to the low priority that governments and policymakers place on suicide prevention programs.
According to a few statistics in the report:
• Suicide is the second-leading cause of death globally among young people, ages 15–29
• The annual global age-standardized suicide rate is 11.4 per 100,000 population, and men are more likely to end their lives compared to women
• Globally, suicide accounts for 50 percent of all violent deaths in men and 71 percent in women
• The ingestion of pesticide, hanging, and firearms are among the most common methods of suicide globally
Suicide prevention is an integral part of the 66th World Health Assembly’s Mental Health Action Plan, with the goal of a 10 percent reduction in the suicide rate by 2020.
The full report is available at www.who.int/mental_health/suicide-prevention/world_report_2014/en/.
