WHO: more than 700,000 people commit suicide every year. Young people at risk
More than 727,000 people took their own lives in 2021 - that's more than one death in a hundred globally.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) cites this data, emphasising that despite a slight decline in rates over the past two decades, the rate of decline remains insufficient.
According to the World Mental Health Today report, suicide remains one of the leading causes of death among young people. In 2021, it was the second most common cause of death among girls and women aged 15 to 29, and the third among young men in the same age group.
Although the global age-specific suicide rate fell by 35 per cent between 2000 and 2021, WHO warns that if current trends continue, the decline will be only 12 per cent by 2030 - instead of the projected 33 per cent.
Suicide rates are highest in low- and middle-income countries - about three-quarters of all suicides occur there - although suicide rates as a proportion of the population may be higher in wealthy countries. This is partly due to the better quality of medical statistics in developed countries.
Particularly worrying is the rise in suicide rates in the Americas, where the rate increased by 17 per cent over the same period (2000-2021), while it declined in all other regions.
WHO emphasises that the number of people with mental disorders is growing faster than the world's population. In 2021, more than 1 billion people worldwide suffer from conditions such as anxiety disorders and depression.
Against this alarming statistic, the level of investment in mental health remains extremely low. Since 2017, on average, governments have allocated only 2% of the total health budget to this area. Only 9 per cent of people with depression receive adequate treatment, experts say.
WHO is particularly concerned about the mental state of the younger generation. As Mark van Ommeren, head of mental health at WHO, notes, one of the main reasons for the deterioration of mental health has been the influence of social media and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Making mental health services a priority is one of the most important public health challenges," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.