More than 800,000 people worldwide – including about 4,000 Canadians – die by suicide every year.

World Suicide Prevention Day is presented annually by the International Association for Suicide Prevention to spread awareness and break the silence about this issue. This year’s theme, ‘Connect, Communicate, Care’ captures the heart of suicide prevention.

CMHA branches across the province, including CMHA Ottawa, work daily to share strategies to prevent the tragedy of suicide. Among them, we provide suicide awareness training such as safeTalk and Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) workshops to the local community. To learn more. https://ottawa.cmha.ca/programs-and-services/training/

Though not all suicides can be prevented, some strategies can help reduce the risk, such as:

• Seeking treatment, care and support for mental health concerns — and building a good relationship with a doctor or other health professionals
• Staying connected with a care team or community-based program to help manage stress and monitor for thoughts of suicide
• Building social support networks, such as family, friends, a peer support or support group, or connections with a cultural or faith community
• Learning good coping skills to deal with problems, and trusting in coping abilities

Universal prevention strategies recommended by the World Health Organization also include increasing access to health care and responsible media reporting.

To learn more about suicide prevention visit: ttp://www.cmha.ca/mental_health/preventing-suicide/#.V88uLfkrKUk.