National suicide prevention strategies: Progress and challenges

Suicide and attempted suicide/self-harm (suicidal behavior) constitute a major global public health concern, with an estimated annual toll of 793,000 deaths worldwide (https://www.who.int/gho/mental_health/suicide_rates/en/) and up to 20 times as many episodes (no accurate count is possible) of attempts (World Health Organization [WHO], 2014). Globally, suicide is the second leading cause of death among young adults aged 15–29 years. Although the age-standardized suicide rate in low- and middle-income countries (LAMICs; 11.2 per 100,000) is lower than the rate in high-income countries (HICs; 12.7 per 100,000 population), a majority (75%) of suicide deaths worldwide occur in  LAMICs (WHO, 2014).