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joy health & Research Centre
Suicide Prevention
No community is immune to suicide. Postvention efforts following the aftermath of a death by suicide are undertaken to help the individuals who may have been negatively affected by the completed suicide of a loved one. Youth exposed to suicide are at-risk of subsequent mental health problems including depression, anxiety and PTSD.
Suicide remains one of Canada’s main public health concerns as it is the second leading cause of death among youth aged 10-24 in Canada. Suicide directly impacts family, friends, and the community at large while indirectly affecting many others. It is rare that a community has articulated in advance the considerations and responses necessary when a youth dies by suicide.
Reactive responses are often the usual and only response which may pose a risk for contagion effect. Suicide prevention education aims to prevent death by suicide while also raising awareness through youth and community engagement and reducing the stigma about suicide.