On Tuesday, 10 September, the Sant Cugat Campus hosted the talk ‘Suicide can be prevented’, as part of the various activities organised within the framework of the Conference for the Prevention of Suicide in Young People.

The talk was particularly aimed at students of the Bachelor's in Psychology and all those interested in mental health in general and particularly in the prevention of youth suicide. It was led by Maria Fernández Capo, director of the Department of Psychology at the University, and included Pere Castellví, lecturer and researcher at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, and Clara Rubio, founder and president of the Catalan Association for Suicide Prevention (ACPS), as speakers. The two experts highlighted the importance of detecting suicide risk factors and the key role of creating safe environments around vulnerable people to reduce suicidal thoughts and behaviour.

Drawing on his experience as a researcher in mental health epidemiology, Castellví presented the main risk factors for suicide focused on young people, stressing that practically all of them are preventable and, therefore, with the proper health promotion, their effects on mental health can be reduced. “A clear example shown by international studies is the fact that by completely eliminating bullying in schools, suicide attempts in young people could be reduced by 22%,” he explained. He also pointed out that adolescents and young people are particularly vulnerable to this type of behaviour due to their stage in the neurodevelopmental process.

In his talk, Pere Castellví also shared current data showing how suicide has become a worldwide public health emergency, being one of the leading causes of death among adolescents and young people. He went on to say that “the suicide rate in men is double that of women, but women suffer twice as many suicide attempts, as they have a higher prevalence of risk factors and a lower lethality of suicidal behaviour”. “Fortunately, there is a growing awareness of the importance of mental health and prevention, as well as more tools for early detection and identification of people at risk of suicide such as the Suicide Risk Code,” he added.

In the second part of the talk, Clara Rubio, founder and president of the Catalan Association for Suicide Prevention (ACPS), stressed the importance of breaking the social stigma and existing myths related to suicide to create safe and trusted environments to support and accompany the most vulnerable people. To achieve this, “it is important to be able to talk about suicide on a social level, but with respect and prudence. Here, the media have an important role to play because, using the right language and approach, they can contribute to raising awareness in society about this serious problem,” Rubio explained. The founder and president of ACPS also shared examples of the different policies and preventive actions carried out by public bodies, entities and associations, recalling that the main preventive tool is empathy and active listening.

The talk ‘Suicide can be prevented’ was part of the activities programme of the Conference for the Prevention of Suicide in Young People, promoted by UIC Barcelona, which also included the exclusive premiere of the documentary La Xarxa Invisible. A documentary on the prevention of suicide among young people, directed and produced by UIC Barcelona, which aims to provide a platform for young people, families, associations, clinical staff and professionals working to break the stigma of suicide and give a voice to those who struggle in silence.