September 10 is celebrated globally as the World Suicide Prevention Day, with the aim of raising awareness and provide a commitment to prevent suicide cases.

This year’s World Suicide Prevention Day Theme is “Working together to prevent suicide“.

Statistics show that someone in the world commits suicide every 40 seconds, translating to 800,000 people annually. It is estimated that by the year 2020, the figure will rise to 1.5 million annually.

Suicide is also the second leading cause of death in 15-29 year-olds globally.

Suicide cases in Kenya have been high lately and especially among young people owing to rising cases of depression and most victims have taken to social media to post their intentions to commit suicide and even before friends can reach out, news emerges that they actually made good their threat.

According to the World Health Organisation, depression is a common mental disorder. Globally, more than 300 million people of all ages suffer from depression, which is also the leading cause of disability worldwide and is a major contributor to the overall global burden of disease.

“This time last year I was grappling to get myself out of the ghoulish scare that came with suicidal thoughts. I remember how I fought for my life. How I pushed so hard.

I wanted to understand this thing. And now life has given me the opportunity to share my experiences with others, illuminating my discoveries and possible ways forward to curb mental health illness. Depression is just one spectrum of a whole prism.

I see how this scourge is directly connected to broken social structures, poor governance and injustices. We must keep connecting the dots until we arrive at the nucleus of our undoing,” one Onyango Otieno shared on Facebook in a post that went viral.

Most of the depression and suicide cases in Kenya among young people have been attributed to joblessness and love triangles.

Early this month, popular comedian and Egesa FM presenter Joseph Mochere Atandi alias Okebiro O’ Mose reportedly committed suicide,  allegedly due to marital issues.

September 10 is celebrated globally as the World Suicide Prevention Day, with the aim of raising awareness and provide a commitment to prevent suicide cases.

This year’s World Suicide Prevention Day Theme is “Working together to prevent suicide“.

Statistics show that someone in the world commits suicide every 40 seconds, translating to 800,000 people annually. It is estimated that by the year 2020, the figure will rise to 1.5 million annually.

Suicide is also the second leading cause of death in 15-29 year-olds globally.

Suicide cases in Kenya have been high lately and especially among young people owing to rising cases of depression and most victims have taken to social media to post their intentions to commit suicide and even before friends can reach out, news emerges that they actually made good their threat.

According to the World Health Organisation, depression is a common mental disorder. Globally, more than 300 million people of all ages suffer from depression, which is also the leading cause of disability worldwide and is a major contributor to the overall global burden of disease.

“This time last year I was grappling to get myself out of the ghoulish scare that came with suicidal thoughts. I remember how I fought for my life. How I pushed so hard.

I wanted to understand this thing. And now life has given me the opportunity to share my experiences with others, illuminating my discoveries and possible ways forward to curb mental health illness. Depression is just one spectrum of a whole prism.

I see how this scourge is directly connected to broken social structures, poor governance and injustices. We must keep connecting the dots until we arrive at the nucleus of our undoing,” one Onyango Otieno shared on Facebook in a post that went viral.

Most of the depression and suicide cases in Kenya among young people have been attributed to joblessness and love triangles.

Early this month, popular comedian and Egesa FM presenter Joseph Mochere Atandi alias Okebiro O’ Mose reportedly committed suicide,  allegedly due to marital issues.