Physicians to receive training as part of anti-suicide campaign in Mexico

Specialists from Mexico's Ministry of Health will train physicians on how to prevent suicide, one of the main causes of death in young people between 15 and 29 years old.

The initiative is part of a joint effort by Mexico's National Institute of Psychiatry and the organizations Mexican Psychiatry and the World Psychiatry Association.

The aim of the initiative is to spread mental health awareness and strengthen medical professionals' ability to detect early and treat signs of depression in order to reduce suicide rates.

The general director of the National Institute of Psychiatry, María Elena Medina Mora, said that depression is the key precursor to attempts in suicide. She said that this disease makes it incredibly difficult for people to face everyday problems and causes them to make drastic decisions.

The president of the Mexican Psychiatry Association noted that 90% of people who commit suicide in Mexico suffer from some form of mental illness, “it's not circumstantial.”

Bipolar disorder, addiction, discrimination, sexual abuse and alcoholism are some factors commonly associated with suicide.