World Suicide Prevention Day | Campaigns - Samaritans

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World Suicide Prevention Day 2025

Suicide is not inevitable. You can interrupt someone’s suicidal thoughts. You could save a life.

This World Suicide Prevention Day, we’re sharing one important message: If you think someone might be suicidal, take action, interrupt their thoughts and show them you care.

Every 90 minutes, someone in the UK or Ireland dies by suicide* and 1 in 4 of us has had suicidal thoughts.**

Let’s prevent suicide today. Because tomorrow’s too late.

Suicidal thoughts can be interrupted

We surveyed people with lived experience of suicide and the majority told us that their suicidal thoughts have been interrupted.***

• 60% said their suicidal thoughts had been interrupted by someone close to them, like a friend or family member.
• 14% said their suicidal thoughts had been interrupted by a stranger or someone they didn’t know.

Our World Suicide Prevention Day 2025 campaign was co-created with people who have lived experience of suicidal thoughts. We’re sharing their experiences and insights to help you take action if you suspect someone may be suicidal. We've put together the following webpages:

• How to interrupt someone’s suicidal thoughts, including real-life examples of how people’s suicidal thoughts were interrupted by strangers or someone they know.
• Ideas for how to support yourself if you’re struggling with suicidal thoughts

If you’re worried someone is having harmful thoughts, it’s better to interrupt than not.

Member of Samaritans’ lived experience panel

Anyone can interrupt someone’s suicidal thoughts

Small interruptions you make and actions you take could help someone who is suicidal. You don’t have to be an expert to save someone’s life.

In response to our survey, many people with lived experience recalled times when those close to them, such as family members or friends, had interrupted their suicidal thoughts.

A close work friend said they had noticed I was looking quite down and they were worried that I might be at risk of suicide again. It made my thoughts pause.

Others talked about times when people they were less close to, even total strangers, interrupted their suicidal thoughts.

What stayed with me? A total stranger cared enough to speak kindly to me at a time when I was at my lowest.

If you’re worried about someone, or want to learn more about interruptions, visit our webpage How to interrupt someone’s suicidal thoughts

Show your support

If you'd like to support World Suicide Prevention Day, please download the social media graphics below and share them alongside the suggested social media messages. Or visit our toolkit for funders and partners.

Suggested social media posts

X and Linkedin

This #WorldSuicidePreventionDay, I'm sharing an important message from @Samaritans: If you think someone might be suicidal, take action, interrupt their thoughts and show them you care. 💚 To find out how, visit samaritans.org/WSPD

Facebook and Instagram

This #WorldSuicidePreventionDay, I'm sharing an important message from @samaritanscharity: if you think someone might be suicidal, take action, interrupt their thoughts and show them you care. 💚 To find out how, visit samaritans.org/WSPD

Download our social media assets

Download document: Download: Signpost to Samaritans

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Download document: Download: You can interrupt suicidal thoughts

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Download document: Download: “Just start the conversation. You never really know what difference you could make.”

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Download document: Download: Welsh bilingual social assets

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Suggested email content

If you’d like to share our World Suicide Prevention Day campaign, please feel free to use or adapt the suggested email below

Email title: It's World Suicide Prevention Day, here's how you can help

Hi [insert name],

September 10 is World Suicide Prevention Day, a chance for organisations and communities around the world to come together to raise awareness and campaign for better suicide prevention.

This World Suicide Prevention Day, I'm supporting Samaritans by sharing this important message:

If you think someone might be suicidal, take action, interrupt their thoughts, and show them you care.

Small interruptions you make and actions you take could help someone who is suicidal. You don’t have to be an expert to save someone’s life.

This year's World Suicide Prevention Day campaign was co-created with people who have experienced suicidal thoughts. They've shared real, practical ways you can help someone you might be worried about. To learn more about how to interrupt someone's suicidal thoughts visit: samaritans.org/WSPD

Let’s prevent suicide today. Because tomorrow’s too late.

Downloadable PDF

If you'd like to raise awareness in your workplace and direct people to this webpage, download our World Suicide Prevention Day PDF below.

Download document: Download: World Suicide Prevention Day PDF

691.0 kb - PDF

Amy, a member of Samaritans’ lived experience advisory group, wrote a heartfelt poem about interruptions.

Read Amy’s poem here.

Read Amy's Poem

*Office for National Statistics (2024). Suicides in England and Wales: 2023 registrations. National Records of Scotland (2024). Probable suicides 2023. Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (2025). Northern Ireland Suicide Statistics, 2023. Central Statistics Office. (2024). Suicide death rates.

**NHS Digital. (2025). Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey: Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing, England, 2023/24.

***Based on a survey with Samaritans’ Lived Experience Panel, which had 65 responses, 92% of which were from people with lived experience of suicidal thoughts

How to interrupt someone’s suicidal thoughts

People who have experienced suicidal thoughts share their suggestions on how to interrupt someone else's suicidal thoughts.

Ideas for how to support yourself if you’re struggling with suicidal thoughts

We spoke with a range of people who have experienced suicidal thoughts, they shared things that help them when they’re feeling suicidal.

World Suicide Prevention Day funders toolkit

Every year on the 10th of September, organisations and communities around the world come together to raise awareness of how we can create a world where fewer people die by suicide.

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