October 10 is World Mental Health Day; it is also the fourth day of Mental Health Awareness Week. This year, the World Health Organization has selected suicide prevention as the theme.
Statistics from the World Health Organization reveal that someone loses their life to suicide every 40 seconds. That is less time than it will take you to read this article.
To combat this statistic, they are encouraging people to take “40 seconds of action” today.
This action can be taken in a variety of different forms and is an opportunity to show that you care about the mental wellbeing of those in your community. You can act by:
- Improving awareness about the significance of suicide as a global health problem.
- Improving your own knowledge of suicide and suicide prevention
- Help to reduce stigma
- Reach out to those who are struggling, let them know they are not alone
The W.H.O. also encourages people who are personally struggling to take “40 seconds of action” by starting a conversation about how you are feeling with someone that you trust.
If you wish to share your own messages, photos, illustration or videos about World Mental Health Day, you can use the hashtag #40seconds and #WorldMentalHealthDay.
