Suicide is second to only accidental death as the leading cause of mortality in young men across the world. High-lethality methods of suicide are preferred by young men: hanging and firearms in high-income countries, pesticide poisoning in the Indian subcontinent, and charcoal-burning in east Asia (Lancet, 2012).
Hugh Jackman shows his support for R U OK?Day, a national day of action that aims to prevent suicide by encouraging people to connect with colleagues, friends and loved ones and ask: "Are you OK?". Suicide prevention in Australia: "A conversation could save a life", link via @dreamingspires.
References:
http://ruokday.com.au R U OK? Matt's Notes
Watching out for friends in need is great.
ReplyDeleteThe attempted infiltration of private relationships by a society that has already played its part in the alienation of many of the individuals who are contemplating suicide -- not so great?
The message I'm getting from too many sources is: Only YOU can prevent suicide. And then, only YOU could HAVE prevented that suicide. There's not really anything the therapist/hospital/university could have done (and we're not liable). What kind of burden is that to put on the shoulders of the very people who are at the highest risk of suicide contagion?
Suicide is real. Real relationships are all that matter. Anything else is just more pressure to conform, to be more a part of exactly the same society that already feels like a trap.