Barcelona launches plan to prevent suicides
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The Barcelona City Council will implement 44 actions to prevent suicide among residents, after recording over 800 suicide attempts in 2024.
The plan, rolling out from this year to 2028, focuses on early detection of risk, support for those affected, and addressing contributing factors. City officials will create a map identifying public spaces with higher suicide risk, allowing them to add preventative measures like barriers or increased surveillance.
The council also intends to establish a network of safe community spaces, starting with neighborhood centers, to identify and support people at risk. Councilor Marta Villanueva stressed the need to reduce stigma around suicide and mental health, stating the plan will “put the person at the center of public health policies.” Alongside the new initiatives, Barcelona will improve support services. They plan to add translation and cultural mediation to the Suicide Prevention Telephone and the Youth Emotional Support Chat.
The city will also train teachers to identify and respond to self-harming behavior in students and create a protocol for intervening in eviction cases where suicide risk exists. Over the last six years, the city’s suicide prevention telephone has handled more than 32,000 calls, and the youth chat has managed nearly 27,000 conversations since 2022.
