Thursday 10th September is World Suicide Prevention Day 2026, with UK charities urging people to take action when they suspect someone is experiencing suicidal thoughts.
One key message this World Suicide Prevention Day is that suicidal thoughts can be interrupted.
The Samaritans say that almost 3 in 4 people who have experienced suicidal thoughts and feelings have had these interrupted, and that this has helped to ultimately save their life.
The charity surveyed people with lived experience of suicidal thoughts and found:
- 60% had their suicidal thoughts interrupted by someone close to them, like a friend or relative
- 14% had their suicidal thoughts interrupted by a stranger or someone they didn’t know
The Samaritans also highlight statistics which show that, every 90 minutes, someone in the UK or Ireland dies by suicide, and that 1 in 4 people have experienced suicidal thoughts.
Lived experience insights for World Suicide Prevention Day
Their World Suicide Prevention Day campaign has been co-created with people who have lived experience of suicidal thoughts. They are sharing their experiences and insights to help people understand how they can take action if they suspect that someone may be feeling suicidal.
Their message is clear: Take action, interrupt their thoughts and show them you care.
The charity explains:
“Suicide is not inevitable. You can interrupt someone’s suicidal thoughts. You could save a life.”
The Samaritans have outlined important information about how you can interrupt an individual’s suicidal thoughts on their website. This includes real-life examples of people who had their suicidal thoughts interrupted by a stranger or someone they knew. They also provide some guidance for how people can support themselves if they’re struggling with suicidal thoughts.
The charity wants everyone to know that they could be instrumental in saving a life by interrupting suicidal thoughts. You don’t need to be an expert, and your actions do not need to be big or dramatic to make a difference.
In their recent survey, people with lived experience shared examples of times when people had interrupted their suicidal thoughts. These included:
- A work friend told the individual they had noticed they were looking ‘down’ and they were worried they may be at risk
- A total stranger spoke kindly to them
Get involved in World Suicide Prevention Day
Organisations, schools and community groups can show their support for World Suicide Prevention Day by sharing social media graphics and suggested messages, sending template emails or downloading the World Suicide Prevention Day toolkit.
World Suicide Prevention Day was first established in 2003 by the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) in conjunction with the World Health Organization (WHO). It is observed annually on 10th September and is designed to raise global awareness of suicide, help reduce stigma and encourage positive action to prevent suicide.
The IASP says that suicide is a critical global issue and “major public health problem,” adding:
“It is estimated that there are currently more than 720,000 suicides per year worldwide, and we know that each suicide profoundly affects many more people.”
They provide a World Suicide Prevention Day 2026 campaign pack to offer practical information, guidance and resources to help individuals, communities, organisations and policy-makers to get involved.
Resources include banners, suggested social media posts and outreach briefs and suggested collective actions include lighting a candle for World Suicide Prevention Day.
Changing the narrative on suicide
The official global theme, running from 2024-2026, is ‘Changing the Narrative on Suicide.’
This theme is designed to encourage open, honest conversations about suicide and suicidal behaviour and to highlight the importance of connection, collaboration and collective action
The IASP also wants to ensure that suicide prevention is part of the public health agenda globally.
“Changing the narrative means fostering empathy and compassion for those who are struggling. It means understanding that suicidal thoughts and feelings are a sign of immense pain and- distress but talking about suicidal thoughts does not increase their presence or occurrence. It means listening without judgment, offering support, and guiding individuals towards help.
“We acknowledge that an increased focus on the issue of suicide can be overwhelming for those with a lived or living experience of suicide. It’s crucial to recognize that World Suicide Prevention Day is a day dedicated to raising awareness, fostering change and providing a supportive sense of community and understanding for those with lived or living experience.
“Every nation, community, and individual is at a different stage in their understanding and awareness of suicide prevention. No matter where you stand, there are many ways to be involved in World Suicide Prevention Day. We have built out a range of activities and resources to ensure everyone can participate meaningfully. Whether you are just beginning to learn about suicide prevention or are deeply involved in advocacy, there are opportunities for you to contribute and support this vital cause.”
Specific risk factors for suicide
Back in the UK, Mental Health UK has highlighted some key statistics relating to suicide in the UK and specific suicide risk factors.
The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show:
- 6,190 suicides were registered in England and Wales in 2024, equivalent to a rate of 11.4 deaths per 100,000 people
- For men, this rate was 17.6 deaths per 100,000, up slightly from 2023
- For women, the rate was 5.7 deaths per 100,000, unchanged from 2023
- The age-specific suicide rate was highest for males aged 50 to 54 years, equating to 27.5 deaths per 100,000. For females, it was highest among those aged 45 to 49 years,. Equating to 7.9 deaths per 100,000.
The Samaritans previously undertook research into the gendered nature of suicide. Their findings suggest:
- Men tend to choose more lethal methods compared to women
- Social expectations of masculinity may mean men are less likely to seek help for suicidal thoughts compared to women
- Men are significantly more affected by relationship breakdowns compared to women
Mental Health UK also highlight the specific risk factors faced by minority communities, such as trans and non-binary people. These include stigma, prejudice and discrimination.
This is an under-researched area, but the LGBTQIA+ charity Stonewall says that almost half of transpeople (46%) have experienced suicidal thoughts in the last year alone.
World Suicide Prevention Day and the role of the workplace
The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) believes that there is a workplace dimension to suicide.
Although there are no official figures highlighting a strong connection between work and suicide rates, the world’s largest occupational health and safety body says that work-related mental health problems such as stress, depression and anxiety can often be a contributing factor.
They highlight a 2025 report from the International Labour Organization (ILO) which revealed that Japan’s Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare officially recognised 1,304 cases of overwork-related deaths and health disorders in 2024. Over a thousand of these cases involved mental health disorders and 89 suicides or attempted suicides were recorded.
IOSH says specific industry sectors have a higher risk of suicide. In England and Wales, these include building and construction, skilled manual trades, transport and logistics and care-related occupations.
In many cases, these sectors are predominantly staffed by men, correlating to the gendered nature of suicide highlighted by Mental Health UK and the Samaritans. Even within the care-related occupations, male paramedics have a suicide risk which is 75% higher than the national average.
Suicide risk, therefore, cannot be viewed as separate and distinct from our experiences at work.
Prevention is key in the workplace
Writing for the IOSH blog ahead of World Suicide Prevention day 2026, Genis Fernandes, IOSH Research Programme Lead, says prevention is key when it comes to work-related mental ill health and suicide.
She adds:
“So, encouraging work colleagues to talk about mental health, creating an honest and open culture where everyone feels they can ask for help if they need it, is paramount. This depends on building good positive relationships and trust between team members, where support becomes readily available for anyone who is going through a tough time, whether it be with their mental health, a long-term health condition, domestic violence, financial problems, bereavement or disciplinary action, dismissal or redundancy, for example.
“Raising awareness of the risk of suicide and the support that’s available, both inside and outside the organisation, is very important.”
Take the time to listen
Fernandes also highlights the critical importance of listening to people and offering them support when they need it most. She advises underlining effective, supportive listening with:
- Simple, open, non-judgmental questions
- Speaking calmly
- Maintaining good eye contact
- Encouraging the other person to talk
- Showing empathy and understanding
- Staying patient and being comfortable with the odd silence
- Avoiding judgmental or patronising responses
- Follow up afterwards to check that the person is ok and has received help
Although its crucial to listen to the individual, it’s also vital that you take action where needed. Actions to support mental health in the workplace and prevent suicide include:
- Make reasonable adjustments, which could include flexibility on work schedules
- Provide mental health education for managers and employees
- Signpost people to appropriate support services, such as their GP, counselling, charities or crisis support
IOSH advises that workers who are struggling with mental health problems or suicidal thoughts can be referred to support services such as:
- Mind
- Workplace Strategies for Mental Health
- The Prince’s responsible business network
- Supportline, which offers links to many support services for suicidal ideation
- Grassroots.
Mental health and suicide awareness training
First Response Training (FRT) is a leading national training provider delivering courses in subjects such as health and safety, first aid, fire safety, manual handling, food safety, mental health, health and social care and more.
An accredited Mindful Employer themselves, FRT’s specialist mental health training courses include Understanding Mental Health, Mental Health Awareness in the Workplace, Managing Stress, Anxiety and Phobias Awareness, Self-Harm Awareness and Suicide Awareness.
They can also provide qualified, approved trainers to deliver accredited Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training courses, including the Adult, Youth and Lite versions.
A trainer from FRT says:
“World Suicide Prevention Day is all about encouraging people across the globe to act as a beacon of light to those who are experiencing pain. It’s about raising awareness of simple strategies that can help to save lives from being lost to suicide.
“People are often scared to broach the subject of suicide, but we must start talking more openly if we are to drive down suicide rates and help those in need.
“It can all start in the workplace; this is where we spend a great deal of our time and so it has a significant impact on our mental health and wellbeing and our ability to seek support when we need it most.
“Having employees who are trained in mental health problems, able to spot the signs that someone may be struggling and know how to support them and where to refer them to for more help, is a really important step in improving mental health and reducing the risk of suicide.”
A brief summary of FRT’s mental health training can now be downloaded as an infographic.
You can also download FRT’s free Guide to Mental Health Training from our website.
For more information on the training that FRT can provide, please call them today on freephone 0800 310 2300 or send an e-mail to info@firstresponsetraining.com.