International Association for Suicide Prevention: Step Closer by MEET GENIE

Observed on 10 September every year, World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) provides the opportunity for people, across the globe, to raise awareness of suicide and suicide prevention.

The WSPD theme, 'Working together to prevent suicide’ aims to highlight that preventing suicide requires the efforts of many. ‘Step Closer’ is a short film that builds on this with empathy and compassion around the physical metaphor that ‘every step closer can connect someone to life’. Every 40 seconds someone takes their life; that’s almost 800,000 people a year around the world with over 75% of suicides occurring in low-and-middle-income countries.

We can all play a role, from reaching out to a friend or family member, to ensuring mental health and suicide prevention are included within Universal Health Coverage efforts, or by lobbying governments to undertake suicide prevention efforts and develop National Suicide Prevention Strategies. Joining together is critical for preventing suicide and ‘Step Closer’ is a film that aims to raise awareness around how, through working together, this could shift the balance and save lives.