New campaign posters promote suicide prevention hotline

Three new posters, revealed by Catalan government on Wednesday, are part of a campaign to promote the medical emergency 061 hotline which helps prevent suicide.

According to health minister Josep Maria Argimon, one of the campaign's most important goals is to spread the message that "suicide can be avoided by talking," and sharing these thoughts with family and friends.

With sentences like 'What happens to me has no solution', 'Living no longer makes me happy' or 'You will be better off without me', Argimon said he chose to publish negative messages on the posters to reflect the thoughts of a suicidal person. He added that experts are aware that "not all suicides can be prevented," but said he believes in the importance of talking openly about the taboo subject. 

“This an issue that challenges all of society and can only be answered if different areas such as health, work, justice, sports, culture or media take action,” Aina Plaza, a health department official, said, adding that the new suicide prevention campaign was "very ambitious.”

Immersive awareness-raising experience

With the goal of highlighting stories of suicide survivors, family members, support organizations, and healthcare professionals, an installation in honor of World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10 has been installed at Barcelona’s Palau Robert, where it will be available until September 26. 

The cube-shaped structure consists of 62 telephones that represent the 62 suicide attempts that occur in Catalonia every week. 

Another initiative is an email box for questions on how to reflect suicide in the media which it will launch soon, according to Catalan health authorities. Through this channel, people working in media will be able to consult with mental health professionals about any doubts they may have related with how to approach the subject of suicide.

The suicide prevention hotline

The 061 Salut Respon medical emergency health hotline also has mental health specialists available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. They can attend to people in crisis as well as their family members and friends.

The Spanish government also launched this year another hotline called ‘Call to Life’. People experiencing suicidal thoughts as well as their relatives will be able to dial 024, available 24 hours a day, offering a free and confidential service.