Suicide is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, claiming the lives of more than 800,000 people each year. September is designated as Suicide Prevention Awareness Month in many jurisdictions across the world, however, it often does not receive the attention and urgency it deserves. The Public Health Insight Podcast discusses the importance of raising awareness of suicide and intentional self-harm, protective factors, the role of stigma, the need to use appropriate language, how to recognize the warning signs, and COVID-19’s impact on the incidence of suicide and prevalence of self-harm.

Please use your discretion when listening to this content and connect to the appropriate supports as needed. If you or someone you know has been thinking about or impacted by suicide, you are not alone. For our listeners in Canada, Crisis Services Canada offers a national suicide prevention hotline which can be reached at 1-833-456-4566 or by text at 45645. Another resource for people who prefer to correspond via text message is the Crisis Text Line - you can get in touch with trained Crisis Counsellors 24/7 by texting ‘CONNECT’ to 686868.

References for Our Discussion 

• Public Health Agency of Canada: Language Matters: Safe Language and Messages for Suicide Prevention
• World Health Organization (WHO): National suicide prevention strategies: progress, examples and indicators

Partnership with ‘Moving Beyond Repair’ - A Student-Led Conference hosted by the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Over the course of 3 days you can explore upstream approaches to Public Health Emergencies, engage with experts in Public Health, and listen to emerging student research. Not only will you have access to webinar sessions, you will also be able to attend interactive workshops and small-scale social networking events. The conference takes place from Thursday, November 12th to Saturday, November 14th - it is FREE to register.

Learn more about  Moving Beyond Repair and secure your tickets by visiting: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/moving-beyond-repair-upstream-approaches-to-public-health-emergencies-registration-127036534695. Wherever you are in the world, everyone is invited to attend.

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