Suicide: Take a minute, change a life
The World Suicide Prevention Day will be held on 10 September.
The most important goal of this initiative, supported by the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) and co-sponsored by the World Health Organisation, is to raise awareness in the scientific community and general population that suicide can be prevented.
The Day will be followed by an International Conference on Suicidology and Public Health entitled “World Suicide Prevention Day – the Prevention of Suicide: Take a minute, change a life”, scheduled for Thursday 14 and Friday 15 September. The Conference is organised by the Sapienza University of Rome and promoted by the Fondazione Internazionale Menarini. Scientific Director Maurizio Pompili, Italian contact for IASP, Director of Services for the prevention of suicide at the Ospedale S. Andrea of Rome and lecturer in Psychiatry and Suicidology at the Sapienza University of Rome.
«The World Health Organization estimates that every year a million people in the world die by suicide. In Italy each year there are around 4000 suicides, which can be equated to the disappearance of a small town, explains Pompili.
«We can all do something and for this reason the theme of the World Suicide Prevention Day this year is “Take a minute, change a life”. As members of the community it is our responsibility to reach out to those in difficulty and encourage them to tell their story. Offering a word of comfort and lending a sympathetic ear may well make the difference. The Conference provides an opportunity for different sectors of the community, among which the public, charitable associations, local communities, researchers, clinicians, general practitioners, politicians, volunteers and anyone who has anything to do with suicide, to assess synergically the best strategies to adopt for the effective prevention of suicide, besides focusing public attention on the unacceptable burden of suicide and the relative costs sustained».
The Conference will take place in the Aula Magna of the Rectorate at the Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, Rome.
For information: www.giornataprevenzionesuicidio.it
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