WHO Reports Over 1% of Global Deaths Are Due to Suicide, Urging Action

The World Health Organization (WHO) has revealed that more than one in every 100 deaths worldwide results from suicide, highlighting the urgent need for global intervention to address this mounting mental health crisis, especially among young people. Despite slight improvements in recent years, progress in reducing suicide rates remains slow, with an estimated 727,000 suicides occurring globally in 2021.

The WHO emphasizes that each suicide not only affects the individual but also profoundly impacts families and communities, causing widespread hardship. The organization's latest report underscores that suicide continues to be a leading cause of death among youth aged 15 to 29 across different regions and socioeconomic backgrounds, standing as the second leading cause for girls and women, and third for males in the same age group.

While there has been a 35% global decline in age-adjusted suicide rates from 2000 to 2021, the current rate of decrease is only about 12%, falling short of the targeted one-third reduction by 2030. Regions have experienced varied trends, with decreases in most areas except the Americas, where rates have increased by 17%. Notably, nearly three-quarters of suicides occur in lower-income countries, though higher-income nations report higher per capita rates.

Despite the declining trend, the prevalence of mental disorders like anxiety and depression has risen sharply. Over the past decade, the number of individuals living with mental health conditions has increased faster than the global population, with more than one billion people affected. Young people are especially vulnerable, a concern intensified by the rising influence of social media and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The WHO also criticizes the stagnation in mental health funding worldwide, with median government investment remaining at just 2% of total health budgets since 2017. Moreover, only 9% of those suffering from depression receive appropriate treatment. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized that transforming mental health services remains a critical public health challenge to prevent further loss of life.