To arouse public concern about the problem of suicide, the International Association of Suicide Prevention (IASP) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) have chosen September 10 as the "World Suicide Prevention Day".

This year the theme of the "World Suicide Prevention Day" is "Suicide Prevention across the Life Span". Both IASP and WHO have pointed out that suicide occurs at all ages and suicide prevention and intervention strategies should be adopted to meet the needs of different age groups.

The Force supports every effort towards promoting suicide awareness and prevention and subscribes to the notion that "one case is a case too many" and "prevention is always better than cure". To support this year's World Suicide Prevention Day and heighten awareness of suicide prevention, the Psychological Services Group (PSG) has promulgated a series of eight publicity messages on the Force Noticeboard to make Force members understand better the different aspects of suicide prevention. A link is also available on PSG's web page to all the messages.

PSG also conducted a Balances and Wisdom Seminar titled "Suicide Prevention is Everybody's Business" at the PHQ Auditorium on the evening of September 10, attracting the attendance by over 130 Force members.

Delivering an opening speech at the seminar, Chief Superintendent Pauline Ng of the Personnel Services and Staff Relations Branch expressed the hope that every Force member would act as a "gatekeeper" in suicide prevention.

Two guest speakers, Dr Danny Tam and Dr Paul Wong, together with Police Clinical Psychologists, discussed suicide prevention from different perspectives.

Dr Tam, a psychiatrist from the Kwai Chung Hospital, talked about how to deal with persons with suicidal risk, while Dr Wong, a clinical psychologist from the Hong Kong University Jockey Club Centre for Suicide Prevention and Research, analysed the long-term impact of suicide on survivors and their family members.

Senior Police Clinical Psychologist Eddie Li and Police Clinical Psychologist Joan Chan spoke of the current and future directions of the Force's suicide prevention work.

A VCD of the seminar will be available for borrowing in due course. For more information contact PSG at 2866-1992.

PSG drives home that "suicide prevention is everybody's business"

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