On the occasion of the national day dedicated to suicide prevention on February 5, 2023, the Ministry of Health recalls that suicide prevention is a major public health issue. Free speech on this subject, and more broadly on psychic suffering, is essential because suicide is largely preventable. Many help and listening devices exist, let’s dare to talk about them.
Suicide prevention is a priority for the Ministry of Health and Prevention, which has included it in its 2018 mental health and psychiatry roadmap.
From the fall of 2020, Olivier Véran, Minister of Solidarity and Health, took into account the role of the health crisis as a catalyst for mental health problems in France, particularly among certain specific audiences such as young people, highlighting the need to pay close attention to this health problem.
The Ministry of Health and Prevention is thus continuing to strengthen its prevention policy to implement in a concrete and coordinated way a set of actions in the territories, in connection with many very involved actors, in particular associations:
Maintaining contact with the person who has attempted suicide, thanks to the Vigilans system. Created in 2015, the device is a recontact and alert system that organizes around the person who has attempted suicide a network of health professionals to keep in touch with him. In February 2023, VigilanS is deployed in 17 regions including 4 overseas regions and in 92 departments.
Training in identification, suicide risk assessment and crisis intervention with people in a suicidal crisis. These training courses, renovated in 2019, with content adapted to the roles and skills of the people trained, from citizen volunteer sentinels to health professionals, aim to create networks of resource people in each region.
Targeted actions to fight against the risk of suicidal contagion, in particular through the programs PAPAGENO. People exposed directly or indirectly to a suicidal event are more at risk of having suicidal thoughts, or even of acting out. At the individual level, being exposed to suicide would multiply by 2 to 4 the risk of suicidal gesture.
Let’s take care of each other, thanks to mental health first aid training. Mental health first aid makes it possible to identify and help a person in pain or in crisis, in order to direct them towards resources and care. To become a rescuer: https://pssmfrance.fr/etre-secouriste/
Teenage houses offer reception and care, particularly in the event of suffering related to health or sexual orientation: Find an MDA.
The 3114, national suffering and suicide prevention number, is free and accessible 7 days a week and 24 hours a day throughout the territory (mainland and overseas). This phone number allows you to provide an immediate response:
- For people in psychological distress and at risk of suicide,
- To those around people at risk of suicide,
- To those bereaved by suicide,
- Professionals in connection with suicidal people who wish to obtain advice, specialized advice.
The 3114 is already 15 regional centers ensuring the national responsemore than 150 specifically trained hospital professionals (nurses and psychologists) placed under the supervision of a psychiatrist, and 235,000 calls accumulated since the opening.
In addition to this new hospital prevention service, many associations are involved and offer support to people in pain. All these listening and reception services, partners of the National Suicide Prevention Strategy, are anonymous and free.
Anonymous and free listening service for 12-25 year olds on the topics of health, sexuality, love, ill-being, etc.
- Hotline every day from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
- Individual chat open every day from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
This hotline BY and FOR students offers an online “survival kit” including, for example, a tool to help write a message to tell a loved one that you are not well: (Sur)life kit: the right tools for my mental health
While the suicide rate in France remains one of the highest in European countries, a steady decline has been observed since 2000. Let’s dare to talk about mental health and be attentive to the signs of distress in those around us.
More information :
The suicide prevention policy
The 3114
Nightline
Youth health thread
Directory of all hotlines
Contact presse :
General Directorate of Health
presse-dgs@sante.gouv.fr – 01 40 56 84 00