Suicide Prevention Day was 10 September. Since then there have been an average of 23 reported suicides in South Africa per day. Tragically, teens are increasingly at risk, as Cape Town recently bore witness. I am happy to see that recent suicide media coverage is mostly compassionate and sensitive. The message behind Suicide Prevention Day was “a minute to save a life” – that you can save someone’s life by checking in on them. Unfortunately, suicide is also a magnet for sensationalism. Facebook and social media flare up when a suicide occurs within a community. Excessive coverage of celebrity suicides…
