According to a news release from the Health Area of Ibiza and Formentera, fifteen primary care professionals from Ibiza and Formentera attended a training on suicidal behavior in adults, which was offered by the Suicide Observatory of the Balearic Health Service.
Due to pandemic restrictions, the training was limited to fifteen participants, yet fifty specialists enrolled. Students from all of Ibiza’s and Formentera’s health centers got theoretical and practical instruction on suicide in adults while working with simulated cases.
The training was overseen by clinical psychologist Desirée Guillén Fopiani, head of the Pitiusa Health Area’s Service of Attention and Prevention of Suicide (APS). According to the Health Department, Guillén consults at the Can Misses Hospital for adults and the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Unit for children and adolescents. They went on to explain that the APS service provides intense and specialized outpatient therapy for suicidal behavior.
Nicole Haber, the responsible and coordinator of the Autonomous Project for the Prevention of Suicidal Behavior, explained that since October 2020, the Balearic Islands have detected a 30% increase in cases of self-harming attempts in young people and a 50% increase in cases of self-harming attempts in adults, with a drop in the age of the people affected. As a result, he stated, the goal of this training is to improve the detection and response to suicide behavior. “Because of their close and regular interaction with patients, primary care doctors are critical in detecting this reality,” she stated.
You are not alone
If you or someone you love is going through a difficult period, there are professionals available to assist you. The people who work at the Emergency Room can help you over the phone at the 112 phone number 24 hours a day, every day of the year. You can also seek assistance from a health center or hospital. Other organizations, such as the Teléfono de la Esperanza (Telephone of Hope), also provide assistance. You can reach them at 717 003 717.
For the full article, please visit Diario de Ibiza website here.