On Thursday, Oct. 10, 2019, CMHA Oxford joins international mental health organizations to celebrate World Mental Health Day.
World Mental Health Day is supported by the World Health Organization as an important way to raise awareness and advocate for better care for those with mental health issues worldwide. The theme this year is working together to prevent suicide, in recognition of the scale of suicide around the world and the role that each of us can play to help prevent it.
Nearly 800,000 people die by suicide every year. For each suicide, there are over 20 suicide attempts. Suicide can have a ripple effect, impacting families, friends, colleagues, communities and societies. It’s the second-leading cause of death among 15-to-29-year-olds and 79 per cent of suicides occur in low and middle-income countries. However, suicide is preventable and working together we can make change.
CMHA Oxford’s Crisis & Outreach team provides suicide prevention in the form of direct service, through Oxford County Walk-In Counselling, ReachOut, and MHEART. Crisis & Outreach Clinicians can provide support via telephone, or in person, to individuals experiencing distress as a result of suicidal thoughts or attempts, or self-harm. For immediate support, contact ReachOut at 1-866-933-2023.
CMHA Oxford is also a proud member of the Oxford County Suicide Prevention Team, a collaboration of service providers and community members working to raise awareness and provide education and prevention around suicide.
To find more information about suicide prevention in Ontario, visit http://ontario.cmha.ca/documents/preventing-suicide/