The Government’s Deputy Delegate to Lugo, Isabel Rodríguez, decided this morning “to broaden the focus on suicide prevention, which requires a comprehensive perspective from different fields such as health, education, family and administration.” The subdelegate conveyed this reflection during the inauguration of the “II Conference on prevention and awareness of suicide and new addictions in youth”, organized by Alar Galicia in the Territorial Delegation of Lugo. The mayor of Lugo, Paula Alvarellos; the president of the association, Fernando González; and the general director of health care of Sergas, Alfredo José Silva, also participated in the event.
The subdelegate put on the table that the World Health Organization says that “suicide can be prevented”, so she focused her speech on the alternatives and actions that are pursued, “prioritizing public health to articulate a system of protection and prevention that acts effectively.” In this regard, he reported that the Government has updated its Mental Health Strategy for the years 2022-2026, after 12 years without renewal, so that “mental health and suicide prevention are at the epicentre of public policies.”
Isabel Rodríguez said that “it is a problem that challenges us all, an issue that has already been raised to the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU in order to establish synergies between countries”, being “fundamental that the concerns of the families of this country are transferred with the relevant magnitude to the highest levels, becoming issues of state as well as gender violence, with a global impact in all countries of the world”.
He also thanked Alar Galicia, named its president, for the organization of these conferences, as well as the collaboration in different prevention programs, with survivors, scientific societies and other professionals. At this point, he recognized the work of the Civil Guard and the National Police with the Master Plan, bringing to the educational centers training “in such important matters as harassment, cyberbullying, addictions, hate crimes or violence against women.”
Line 024
In her speech, the subdelegate recalled that there is the disposition of the citizens to Line 024, of Attention to Suicidal Behavior, which works 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. “A tool referenced by the European Commissioner for Health as a model to be extended to the whole of the EU”.
Of the total number of calls to this free and confidential telephone, 56.7% were made by women, and 43.3% by men. In addition, although the figures show that 75 per cent of suicides are committed by males, in the case of attempted suicides, most occur by females, 66 per cent of the time, with the age range between 11 and 15 years predominating.
Isabel Rodríguez concluded by remarking that “this is an issue that affects all of us, with irrevocable consequences, so we must work tirelessly for its prevention.”