Yellow September is dedicated to suicide prevention. About 12 thousand suicides are registered every year in Brazil and more than 1 million worldwide. The Instituto Mário Penna’s campaign has as its theme: Listen. Chat. Help. Every life matters.
“In the last year, after the start of the Covid pandemic, due to the fear of the new and isolation, the losses in all areas and the deaths experienced, the number of mental illnesses increased and, consequently, the number of self-extermination attempts. Aware of this context, we thought of a campaign aimed at the eyes of our employees: an empathetic, non-judgmental and humanized look, where we will try to guide on how to identify risk and prevention factors, inform how to help a colleague or even a family member, where to seek help and engage everyone in this cause to reduce psychological distress and the suicide rate”; explains Gizelle Mesquita, Coordinator of Humanization and Hospital Psychology.
KNOW THE ALERT SIGNS AND KNOW HOW TO HELP
Intense sadness for several days
Lack of interest and future plans
Social isolation
Emotional fatigue, stress and anxiety levels
Previous attempts and family history of suicide
Warnings like “Life is not worth it”, “I’m so alone I want to die” or “You’ll miss me”
HOW CAN I HELP SOMEONE AT RISK?
- Find an appropriate time and a quiet place to talk with this person.
- Let her know you’re there to listen, listen with an open mind, and offer your support.
- Encourage the person to seek help from mental health professionals. Offer to accompany her to an appointment.
- If you think this person is in immediate danger, don’t leave them alone.
- Be on the alert to monitor how the person is doing and maintain risky behavior.
During the month, several actions will be carried out by the Humanization sector. The program includes lectures, awareness blitz and live with experts. Every Friday of the month we will have “Yellow Day” and all employees must come dressed in yellow in support of the campaign. Do you work in uniform? No problem! Put on a prop and get creative! The important thing is to embrace the campaign and contribute, in some way, to help those who really need it.