Mental health experts urge proactive suicide prevention

In observance of World Suicide Prevention Day, health experts in Greece and Malaysia are calling for increased mental health interventions and the reduction of social stigma to combat rising suicide rates.

In Greece, KLIMAKA’s Suicide Observatory recorded 579 suicide deaths in 2025, contributing to a total of 2,946 deaths between 2020 and 2025. Kyriakos Katsadoros, scientific director of KLIMAKA, emphasized that prevention must occur before a crisis emerges, highlighting the need for early recognition of behavioral changes such as social withdrawal, irritability, and changes in sleep or substance use.

In Malaysia, patron of Befrienders KL, Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye, noted a rise in suicide cases, with 1,114 recorded by the Royal Malaysia Police in 2024. Additionally, the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2023 indicated that nearly one million adults in Malaysia experience depression, a prevalence that has doubled since 2019. Lee highlighted that stigma remains a significant barrier to seeking help and welcomed the decriminalization of attempted suicide that took effect in September 2025.