Commemorated on September 10th, World Suicide Prevention Day seeks to create awareness of suicide as an ongoing public health challenge.
According to the World Health Organization, the day calls for “suicide prevention and mental health to be a priority in public policy.”
September also serves as Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, where advocates continue to champion the creation of safe spaces, as well as support for those affected.
Gender and Youth Development Specialist Richie Bansraj says although this is an issue affecting all, statistics on the rates of suicide by men and boys are alarming.
“Because of the context of Trinidad and Tobago’s culture, where it is that men are seen as the breadwinners, men don’t talk, you have to be a big man in society, all these things compound on our men and also our boys. So this month, I am taking responsibility as an advocate for men’s issues to raise awareness on men’s issues and men’s rights to promote that we need to have safe spaces for our men and boys in society.”
Creating protective environments, strengthening economic support, and improving access and delivery of suicide care are some of the prevention methods suggested by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Community intervention is another, according to Mr. Bansraj.
“We need to train our teachers, community leaders and also everybody within the community, the pastors, the persons in the temples, the persons in the masjids. All of these religious leaders as well need to learn how to listen and understand people rather than just giving solutions. Not all the time people want to hear a solution to something. They just want someone to talk to, and when they talk about the situation, they do get their solutions themselves.”
Locally, there are a number of resources available for people seeking help.
“The Ministry of Health has a hotline, and it’s 800-COPE, so they could use that 24/7 hotline, and they will be referred to other agencies and stuff like that. There’s also a website which is a portal, I believe it is the government that created it, but it has NGOs and stuff like that in that portal. It’s called FindCareTT. You go that website, and there’s a portal to all of these resources that are available to men and women as well as boys and girls.”