101 Saskatchewan Federation of Police Officers Pillars for Life: The Saskatchewan Suicide Prevention Plan May 2020 Approximately 4,000 people die by suicide each year in Canada (Government of Canada, 2016). Suicide is the second leading cause of death for people aged 10 to 29 in Canada. In Saskatchewan, approximately 144 people die by suicide each year (Saskatchewan Coroners Service, data from 2005 to 2016). In northern Saskatchewan, suicide is the leading cause of death for people age 10 to 49 (Irvine & Quinn, 2017). High rates of suicide are both a mental health and public health issue. Suicide prevention must address the social determinants of health through strategic actions, programs and policies. Engaging communities to promote life and reduce the impacts of suicide is essential. Acknowledging these facts, and following ongoing calls to address suicide prevention, the Government of Saskatchewan has created Pillars for Life: The Saskatchewan Suicide Prevention Plan. Pillars for Life:The Saskatchewan Suicide Prevention Plan was informed byWorking Together for Change: A 10Year Mental Health and Addictions Action Plan for Saskatchewan. This Action Plan is Saskatchewan’s overarching approach to improving mental health and addictions services and supports across the human services sectors, including in the health care system. The Action Plan provides a framework for improvement actions being taken, now and into the future, and Pillars for Life:The Saskatchewan Suicide Prevention Plan builds on this framework and intensifies activities that promote life and prevent suicide. To inform the creation of Pillars for Life a jurisdictional scan of suicide prevention activities and frameworks across Canadian provinces and territories was also conducted.This scan has resulted in the identification of key suicide prevention activities, strategies, and current evidence-based practices. Pillars for Life:The Saskatchewan Suicide Prevention Plan was also informed by the calls to action and recommendations found in the Saskatchewan Advocate for Children andYouth Special Report Shhh… Listen!!We Have Something to Say!YouthVoices from the North (2017), the Provincial Auditor’s Report 2018 - Volume 1, Chapter 8, the Provincial Auditor’s Report 2019 – Volume 2, Chapter 24 and the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Saskatchewan First Nations Suicide Prevention Strategy (2018). The Government of Saskatchewan is dedicated to reducing deaths by suicide in the province. The aim of this plan is to reduce risk factors related to suicide, while increasing protective factors for individuals, families, and communities. Framework Suicide is a serious, complex, and preventable issue that can affect everyone. In order to be effective, suicide prevention should encompass prevention, intervention, and postvention. It requires an approach that is culturally appropriate, collaborative, community-based, sustainable and integrated. TheWorld Health Organization (WHO; 2019) identifies suicide prevention as a priority and urges consideration of the following actions as ways to reduce suicide: -timely access to mental health care including early identification, treatment, follow-up care and community support; -reduction of access to means of suicide; -education that increases awareness, builds skills, reduces stigma and trains gatekeepers (clinicians, first responders, teachers, coaches, human resources staff, etc.); -school-based interventions; -research and surveillance; and -responsible and non-sensational media coverage. The time to address this issue is now. Talking about mental health takes courage.Attention to mental health issues is growing, making conversations about mental health and suicide more open and common. Recent public awareness campaigns such as Bell Let’s Talk are working to reduce stigma and increase awareness. (continued)
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