Mental health experts highlight preventability of suicides

On World Suicide Prevention Day, experts emphasized that 80-90 percent of suicides could potentially be prevented through timely recognition of mental illnesses, psychiatric treatment, and adequate environmental support.

Mónika Ditta Tóth, deputy director of the Institute of Behavioral Sciences at Semmelweis University, noted that the primary risk factors include untreated or unrecognized psychiatric conditions such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or alcoholism. While life crises like divorce or illness can trigger such actions due to poor coping strategies, they often act as a final catalyst rather than a sole cause in individuals with existing mental health struggles.

Approximately three-quarters of individuals planning suicide signal their hopelessness in some form, though these signs are frequently missed or misinterpreted by their social environment. A notable warning sign is a sudden improvement in mood in a person suffering from long-term depression, which can indicate they have made a final decision.

According to World Health Organization statistics, more than 700,000 people die by suicide annually worldwide, occurring roughly every 40 seconds. This is considered a major public health issue affecting millions of relatives and survivors.