The World Health Organization [WHO] estimates that each year about one million people die from suicide, a figure equivalent to someone dying of suicide every 40 seconds. It is not a malady confined to old age in fact rates among young people have increased to such an extent that suicide is now one of the three leading causes of death among those aged 15-44. For every suicide, there are 20 times more people who attempt suicide every year. In the US, the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] reports that it is the eleventh leading cause of death for all US Americans, and is the third leading cause of death for young people between 15-24 years. http://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/suicide
Yet suicides are preventable with timely, evidence-based interventions.
Bertolote and Fleischmann [2002] in a systematic review reported that 98% of those who died by suicide suffered from depression or other mood disorders. Various studies have analyzed the correlation between economic factors and suicide rates [Chang et al]. However, suicide results from multiple complex socio-cultural factors many times impulsively in moments of crisis with a breakdown in the ability to deal with life stresses.
If you or someone you now feel that life seems so hard that it is no longer worth living. A feeling of hopelessness or despair such that there is no point in living or inability to understand why one is feeling or thinking this way, remember you are not alone. It is okay to talk about suicide and there are people who can help.
Preventive measures based on the medical model have been proven to be extremely useful.
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If you feel like giving up on life, reach out for help. You are not alone. Help is available.