World Suicide Prevention Day given new urgency by COVID-19 pandemic

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Thursday is World Suicide Prevention Day and advocates say the event has been given a new sense of urgency by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Observed since 2003, the day is meant to the show the impact positive mental health can have in preventing suicide.

However, the health crisis that’s plagued the past several months has highlighted the dire need for awareness.

“Nearly a quarter of men reported their mental health had worsened in the first six weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly a third reported feelings of loneliness, so we really have seen, statistically, that men are struggling with their mental health,” says Mitch Hermansen, the western Canada lead for Movember, the yearly moustache-growing fundraiser for men’s health.


“Over the past few months, people in Canada and worldwide have faced employment loss, restricting their social activities, maybe balancing work and family at home, and you feel like you’re feeling it on both fronts. It’s been a challenging time for everyone,” he adds.

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That’s why Movember is launching the Social Connection Challenge, a $3-million global initiative to keep men connected and address feelings of loneliness and isolation. In Canada, up to five ideas will be selected for co-development with Movember. Anyone with a relevant idea or concept can apply at movember.com.

“We’re searching for fresh and exciting digital or technology-focused ideas that maintain or strengthen social connections, while also addressing isolation in groups of at-risk men,” he says.

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Hermansen points out one in five suicides in Canada are by men and that suicide is the second leading cause of death for men under the age of 44. Worldwide, we lose a man every minute to suicide; more than 500,000 men a year.

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