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CMHA National World Suicide Prevention Day- September 10
8 September 2023
World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) was initiated in 2003 by the International Association for Suicide Prevention in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO). September 10th is an opportunity to honour families and communities impacted by a suicide attempt or loss. It is also a chance to raise awareness, reduce stigma around suicide, and, importantly, learn how to support those who may be struggling.
WSPD 2023 theme “Creating Hope Through Action”
The WSPD theme offers a proactive approach to addressing the challenges of mental health care, suicide prevention, and crisis response. It encourages us to take meaningful actions to prevent suicide, break down hurtful beliefs, and nurture understanding.
Key Messages:
- In Canada, approximately 4,500 lives are lost to suicide every year, underscoring the urgency to take action.
- The facts are stark, but suicide is preventable. There’s so much we can do as a society and as individuals to end the suicide crisis.
- The campaign emphasizes the role of collective action – from individuals, families, and communities to governmental bodies – in ensuring a compassionate and responsive approach to mental health problems.
- While we recognize the significance of the Government of Canada’s three-digit national suicide and mental health crisis helpline, it represents only one part of the solution.
- By advocating for the Care after the Call fund, CMHA emphasizes the critical need for continuous mental health support, connecting crisis intervention to ongoing care.
- CMHA is calling on the federal government and the Honourable Ya’ara Saks, the new Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, to create a $950M “Care after the Call” Fund over five years.
Support “Care after the Call”
Join CMHA in advocating for more funding for suicide prevention and mental health crisis response by joining the Act for Mental Health campaign. Sign up here to stay informed.
Hashtags:
#WorldSuicidePreventionDay #WSPD2023 #CreatingHopeThroughAction
Learn more about what we can do and get involved Act for Mental Health l CMHA National
Toolkit from the Centre on Suicide Prevention: About Suicide Prevention
Information note: Suicide prevention initiatives in Canada
