#WorldSuicidePreventionDay

#WorldSuicidePreventionDay

Since the shocking loss of Robin Williams in 2014, we have seen the death of Chris Cornell, Chester Bennington, Anthony Bourdain, and Kate Spade. These tragedies showed us that success, talent, money and apparent happiness are not necessarily what they look like from the outside.

Suicide can’t be predicted, but it can be prevented with awareness and action. World Suicide Prevention Day is an awareness day that works to spread discourse and education on the topic of suicide. Every year on September 10, social media users can post their stories and messages of hope with the hashtag #WorldSuicidePreventionDay.

This day aims to create awareness for the prevention of suicide. The holiday started in 2003 under the theme “Suicide Can Be Prevented.” The World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Association for Suicide Prevention both organized the first World Suicide Prevention Day in 2003. While the #WorldSuicidePreventionDay hashtag has created a positive online space for people struggling with mental health issues, it has not been entirely impactful on the actual rates of suicide around the world.

Glad to be Alive

Taking advantage of the hashtag, social media sites are also using the suicide prevention movement to interact with social media members who have contemplated suicide. A Twitter account labeled @depressionnote posted a Tweet asking people who have attempted suicide or have had suicidal thoughts what they are glad they stayed alive for today. 



The tweet received many positive replies as people mentioned things they are thankful to be alive to see.

Some Twitter users answered that they are thankful to have stayed alive to still see their families and other loved ones, realizing there are people who love and support them.



















Other answers included more simple things. One Twitter user said that new music from her favorite rock band was her reason to live, while another claimed that chocolate milk was his. These tweets show that even the smallest things in life have the power to motivate people through tough times. 

Another Twitter user stated the hope of working alongside her favorite actors or heroes was her reason for being glad to stay alive, showing a determination to keep her life and make the most of it. 

Is it Enough?

Most of the #suicidepreventionday posters are posting about themselves. While it is important for people to be transparent about their suicidal thoughts to normalize the issue, there is still an absence of real conversation in these posts. Few people are taking advantage of the hashtag to reply to others’ comments. 

In addition, among the few replies, there are some nasty comments that detract from the message of positivity and acceptance that is the goal of the #WorldSuicidePreventionDay movement.

The hashtag has a goal of dismissing the stigma around suicide in our culture. People are able to call attention to their vulnerability by tagging their posts with the hashtag. This can be especially powerful when readers see famous people or people who otherwise seem successful and organized sharing their personal struggles.

However, in terms of real action for tangible prevention, the movement lacks direction. As is the case in all awareness campaigns, the intention is to do the work of starting a conversation, not ending an epidemic.

The Worldwide Impact

All of this research and awareness begs the question: have suicide rates actually gone down since the launch of the World Suicide Prevention Day campaign? The answer is both yes and no. According to Our World in Data, suicide accounted for 12.80 per 100,000 people worldwide in 2003, the year the World Suicide Prevention Day campaign was launched.

In 2017, however, suicide only accounted for 9.98 deaths for every 100,000 people worldwide. On the other hand, suicide rates in America have actually gone up since the launch of the World Suicide Prevention Day campaign.

The rate of suicide deaths per 100,000 people in America was 11.37 in 2003, compared to 12.84 in 2017. Therefore, it is hard to determine whether the campaign created any tangible positive effect on the rate of suicides throughout the world.

The Online Impact

The World Suicide Prevention Day campaign on Twitter, though it may not have had such a drastic impact on the actual rate of suicide in the world, has created a positive online space for people impacted by suicide. Twitter users are using the hashtag to share their experiences and give support and advice to others.

Also, users who share their own motivations and reasons to live give hope to people who are struggling with their mental health. The only downside to the hashtag is that some people use it as an opportunity to broadcast their negative mental states and unhealthy thoughts. These tweets will bring other people down as opposed to lifting them up.

If users come to the hashtag looking for things to motivate them and end up finding these negative tweets, they will feel worse than they did before. Luckily, there are not many tweets of this nature, as most of the hashtag is filled with positive messages from people around the world supporting each other through a difficult life experience.

The World Suicide Prevention Day hashtag may not have had such a drastic impact as the creators intended, but it has created a ripple effect of positive messages on the internet that will undoubtedly benefit the mental health of Twitter users everywhere. 

For more information, visit the World Suicide Prevention Day website.