September has been a pivotal month for suicide prevention and global mental health.
Earlier this month, we marked World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) under the theme “Changing the Narrative on Suicide.” I want to thank all of you who hosted events, shared resources, lit up landmarks, or took a moment to remember loved ones lost. These actions matter; they remind us that suicide prevention is a year-round effort, not just a one-day event. We must keep working together to drive policy change, expand access to care, and tackle the social and economic factors that put people at risk.
Later in September, I had the privilege to attend various events around the UN General Assembly in New York, including the Fourth High-Level Meeting on NCDs and Mental Health. You can read more about these meetings here. This was a once-in-a-decade opportunity to shape the global response to mental health and suicide prevention. The Political Declaration on Non-Communicable Diseases has seen high levels of support from UN Member States and now awaits a vote in the General Assembly in October. IASP has joined the organisations in the global mental health community in advocating for a strong and actionable political declaration that calls on governments to:
- Decriminalise suicide worldwide, removing a major barrier to help-seeking.
- Invest sustainably in community-based, rights-based mental health services.
- Implement evidence-based and informed prevention.
- Include young people in decision-making, ensuring their voices shape their futures.
For the first time, suicide prevention is clearly embedded within a UN Political Declaration on NCDs and Mental Health. This is a truly landmark moment, and the commitments outlined, if adopted and implemented, could transform global action.
Closer to home, we are delighted to have recently welcomed two new Special Interest Groups within IASP. The Climate Change and Suicidality SIG will advance research and collaboration on the links between climate change and suicidal thoughts and behaviours, an urgent but underexplored area. The Suicide Prevention in the Criminal Justice Sector SIG will focus on strengthening prevention and postvention approaches for people in contact with criminal justice systems worldwide.
Finally, we have a wave of upcoming webinars of interest to our network that we encourage you to join throughout November.
Thank you, as always, for your ongoing commitment to our work.
