translated from Spanish: The space occupied by the suicide prevention in mental health

Sir: there are several deaths that recently have been debate in the opin world public ion. Commented were cases of American designer Kate Spade, chef Anthony Bourdain, a teenager from a private school in Mexico City and recently a child of 9 years in the United States. Proposal of mental health, in the month of suicide prevention, is to reflect and make visible the causes, signs and, more important still, the treatment options available for people who pose potential risks. Their families and friends who seek to help them are important axes in a prevention policy.
The need to address this issue is real and has been increasing. There are various and discussed factors that endanger people, such as environmental, sociodemographic, exposure to the suicide of others, among other causes. However, in the element where it should be pointed out the efforts is that persons who decide to voluntarily terminate his life, it is possible to observe in its recent history any identifiable psychopathological symptoms or psychological suffering that could be been pesquizado. Without going any further, suicide has great relationship with diseases such as depression, schizophrenia, abuse, and dependence on alcohol and drugs, and bipolar disorder.
It is that it is important to open the discussion and demystify taboos that exist in relation to this complex scenario. Contrary to what you might guess, talking about suicide does not promote it, they talk openly about the issues and questions that are struggling internally generated relief for patients. Along with pharmacological treatment, psychotherapeutic support has been shown to reduce the possibility of suicide attempts in the future, according to statisticians and observation studies in the Netherlands by nearly 30%.
However, Chile is far from achieving the standards in mental health that have some European countries, where this is considered to be a right of its inhabitants, and that therefore the State is obliged to ensure access to care in mental health in co ndiciones of equality. Despite the progress that has presented the Chilean State in this matter in the past two decades, is still much for walking. In our country a 3% of the budget is designated to mental health, while in developed countries it reaches 10%. With these reflections give us aware that this field is considered second-class, when the reality is that mental health is transverse to all of us, to our physical health, productivity, and we must not forget that it is a right that we must demand.
Chief clinical paula Dagnino
Department of Psychology
University Alberto Hurtado

Original source in Spanish