European Parliament Interest Group on Mental Health, Well-being and Brain Disorders, the Global Alliance of Mental Illness Advocacy Networks-Europe (GAMIAN-Europe) together with Expert Platform on Mental Health -Focus on Depression (EPD)- organized on November 9th 2016 a round table to discuss one of the most important public health challenges: Suicide.
It is estimated that every year more than 800,000 people around the world commit suicide, with many more attempting it. It leaves behind broken families and damaged communities. Due to social taboos and stigma, suicide remains under-reported and poorly understood.For background, please find also enclosed the Lancet paper, ‘Suicide prevention strategies revisited: 10-years systematic review,’ which was initiated by EPD.
The Interest Group Meeting had the participation of Nessa Children, MEP , Professor Josef Zohar ( President of Expert Platform), Hilkka Karkkainen (President of GAMIAN-Europe) and Herta Adam (European Commission, DG Santé). Despite patient and mental health campaigner Jonny Benjamin was not able to attend he shared with the participants his own experience through a video.
To download the full report please click here
AGENDA
European Parliament Interest Group on Mental Health, Well-being and Brain Disorders
9 November 2016, 14.00 – 16.00
Preventing suicide – the evidence and next steps
14.00 – 14.10 Welcome and introduction
Nessa Childers MEP
14.10 – 14.25 Video: Suicide: # FindMike
Jonny Benjamin, patient and mental health campaigner
14.25 – 14.40 Suicide Prevention: a patient’s perspective
Hilkka Kärkkäinen, President, GAMIAN-Europe
14.40 – 15.05 Suicide Prevention: from policy to implementation
- European Evidence based Suicide Prevention Program (EESPP)
- Mobile health, social media and suicide prevention
Joseph Zohar, Chair, Expert Platform on Mental Health- Focus on Depression (EPD)
15.05 – 15.20 Suicide Prevention: a policy perspective – how does it feature on the EU agenda?
Herta Adam, European Commission, DG Santé
15.20 – 15.50 Audience debate: defining the next steps
15.50 – 16.00 Conclusions and close
Nessa Childers MEP