The suicide phenomenon is preventable and in Jalisco there are professional services to receive effective accompaniment.
This year, the activities around the World Suicide Prevention Day have a cultural focus, as a protective and dissemination factor.
Earlier this week the Jalisco Health Secretariat (SSJ,) through the Jalisco Institute of Mental Health (SALME,) presented the campaign "You Are Not Alone, You Are Not Alone, We Are With You," with which suicide prevention actions will be reinforced during the month of September, as part of the "Loving you at Home" strategy implemented in light of the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a virtual press conference, the director of SALME, Francisco Javier Ramírez Barreto, stated that this campaign is a call to the general population and to people seeking help in the face of the risk of suicide of a family member or friend, so that they can know and approach professional services to receive effective accompaniment. "Suicide is preventable, and the institutions that serve it are reliable," he emphasized.
For this year, the preventive activities contain a cultural approach as a protective and dissemination factor, with a language different from the traditional one that seeks to permeate the population and favor empathy and identification. This year it will be through the feelings that art can give to the population.
The activities will take place throughout the month of September, around the World Suicide Prevention Day to be commemorated on Friday, September 10, and can be consulted on the website
https://salme.jalisco.gob.mx/.
Ramírez Barreto recalled that the State implemented the Jalisco COVID-19 crisis prevention plan strategy in 2020, as part of the inter-institutional actions to address the problems related to mental health derived from the new coronavirus.
“In the Crisis Attention Line 075, we had peaks of increase in calls of up to 400% in relation to before the pandemic. We just reached 40,000 calls since April 19, 2020, being those who call the most women of civil status, married with university education, and housewives, with the main reason for the consultation being anxiety, followed by depression,” he pointed out.
The manager stressed that even though Jalisco ranks third nationally by number of inhabitants, being one of the most populated states, it is located in the twelfth place for deaths by suicide, with a rate of 7.27 per 100,000 inhabitants.
“From SALME, permanent activities are carried out for the prevention, promotion, and attention of this psychosocial phenomenon,” he pointed out.
Rafael Medina Dávalos, the coordinator of the Mental Health Area of the “Loving You at Home Strategy,” recalled that SALME implemented the campaign following federal guidelines, for which he enabled a microsite at:
https://quererteencasa.jalisco.gob.mx/prevencion-suicidio/
so that the general public can visit it and get to know the strategic information, particularly on the suicide phenomenon.
On the microsite you can consult the statistics and definitions of the suicide phenomenon "with emphasis on prevention strategies with actions within everyone's reach," Medina Dávalos reported.
The head of the Department of Promotion and Prevention in Mental Health of SALME, Elodia Villar García, listed part of the cultural and dissemination activities programmed throughout the state with access to the general public, totally free, which includes municipal governments, the University of Guadalajara, and the Comprehensive Mental Health Centers, among other institutions.
TO TAKE ACTION
Talking openly about suicide does not induce suicide. It is important to be in communication, show empathy, show the person or family member that they are not alone, and pay attention to signs and symptoms such as:
Changes in behavior such as isolation.
Manifestation of nonspecific physical complaints.
Not able to find meaning in life.
Lazy, sad, irritable, anxious, intolerant, or restless behavior.
SUICIDES IN JALISCO
Various factors contribute, such as: socio-economic, socio-environmental, socio-family, and others. The greatest impact of the phenomenon occurs in young people between 15 and 35 years of age.
In the current pandemic, the main concerns expressed are: fear of contagion, death of a family member, followed by financial problems, problems with a partner or a family member.
So far this year, 316 suicides have been preliminarily registered, in 2020 there were 570 events. Suicidal ideation in children and adolescents was 158 cases in 2020, and 138 so far in 2021.
CRISIS INTERVENTION LINE
The service is designed with a protocol of care for the suicidal phenomenon. During 2019, prior to the pandemic, 77 calls were registered for suicidal ideation; 268 calls were registered in 2020, and 316 calls have been registered to date this year. The care provided to people with suicidal risk behavior was 814 in 2020, and 590 through July 2021.
The phones 075 and 33 3833 3838 give free orientation 365 days a year. Please share if you know someone living with anxiety or another mental health crisis problem.