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Hope for bereaved: Conversation group in Berlin fights against suicide
Berlin fights suicide with prevention strategies and self -help groups. Experts emphasize the exchange and support.
Hope for bereaved: Conversation group in Berlin fights against suicide
Suicide is a topic that is often taboo in society despite its extensive effects. In Germany, the number of annual suicides has been constantly between 9,000 and 10,000 since around 2008, with three quarters of the people concerned being men. The suicide rate among older people is particularly high. These alarming numbers illustrate urgency to make suicide prevention more effective. The Federal Government then launched the national suicide prevention strategy, which was presented in 2024 and is part of a comprehensive national prevention plan that was already determined in the coalition agreement, as the Federal Ministry of Health reports.
Henryk Mainusch, neurologist and a health activist from Berlin, heads a discussion group for survivors after suicide. He knows the pain from his own experience: two and a half years ago, his wife committed suicide and is one of the many whose life draft was sustainably shaken by suicide. In his family there was already suicide, which reinforced the complexity of this topic. Mainusch describes the shock, the destruction and the feeling of fainting that goes hand in hand with the loss. Survivors are demonstrably exposed to an increased risk of committing suicide themselves, which underlines the need for help in Berlin. He emphasizes that many of these offers, such as telephone counseling and Besu Berlin, are insufficiently known.
Aid offers and their meaning
In a protected framework, the discussion group enables the survivors to express their feelings and find support. Mainusch emphasizes how important it is that appealing people are present in the area to address suicide thoughts. He calls on to talk directly about these thoughts in order to provide the necessary help.
The National Suicide Prevention Program for Germany (NasPro) is another example of a comprehensive initiative. Founded in 2001, it supports the exchange and knowledge transfer to suicide, suicidality and suicide prevention. With over 90 institutions, organizations and associations, Naspro works closely with the Federal Ministry of Health and the WHO Europe. A central credo of these initiatives is "Network. Information. Activate." The cooperation of many players is essential to guarantee sustainable and successful prevention work.
The numbers and stories, such as those of Mainusch, illustrate how important it is to make suicide and its prevention visible in society. An open dialogue and information for those affected are crucial to raise awareness of this serious topic and offer effective help.