Lady Gaga: 800,000 People Kill Themselves Every Year. What Can We Do?

 

In too many places mental health support services are non-existent and those with treatable conditions are criminalized. Bold action is long overdue. 

By Lady Gaga and Tedros Adhanom

By the time you finish reading this, at least six people will have killed themselves around the world.

Those six are a tiny fraction of the 800,000 people who will kill themselves this year – more than the population of Washington DC, Oslo or Cape Town. Sometimes they are famous names such as Anthony Bourdain or Kate Spade that make headlines, but they are all sons or daughters, friends or colleagues, valued members of families and communities.

Suicide is the most extreme and visible symptom of the larger mental health emergency we are so far failing to adequately address. Stigma, fear and lack of understanding compound the suffering of those affected and prevent the bold action that is so desperately needed and so long overdue.

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Source: The Guardian