Today, September 10, is World Suicide Prevention Day. In 2023, 626 deaths by suicide and self-harm were recorded in Catalonia, 2% less than the previous year. The demographic group with the highest suicide mortality rate is that of men over 65, with 18.2 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants. Instead, the sharpest decline was observed in women aged 15 to 29, with a 20% reduction compared to the previous year.
These are some of the data presented during the intersectoral conference.Suicide prevention: a commitment for all‘, which took place last Friday, September 6, in the meeting room of the Department of Health. The event was attended by the medical director of the Sagrad Cor de Martorell Hospital, Dr. Carles Franquelo, the deputy medical director, Dr. Santi Bernades, and the Mental Health Rehabilitation coordinator, David Juanes.
From the Sacred Heart Hospital, they consider it important to focus on both prevention and postvention, that is, those actions aimed at working on what has happened, accompanying in the mourning process and addressing feelings and beliefs that could hinder an adaptive and healthy elaboration of the loss among the affected people; whether these are relatives/friends, or professionals who have had contact with the deceased person. And according to the WHO, each suicide leaves a trace of 6 to 10 affected people.
“It is essential to train the professionals of the Mental Health and Addictions network in the basic knowledge and skills to offer care in a process of mourning for suicide and to normalize the possibility of being affected by the loss of a patient”, explains the Dr. Montse Guitart, coordinator of the Community Mental Health Area of the Sacred Heart Hospital.
For this reason, they have organized a telematic seminar entitled ‘Addressing grief by suicide for mental health professionals’, which will take place next November 7, from 9.00 a.m. to 2.00 p.m. The seminar will be given by Esther González Jiménez, clinical psychologist and graduate in philosophy, expert in the subject.
Source: martorelldigital.cat
