SADAG urges South Africans to talk about depression & suicide

CAPE TOWN - On Wednesday, World Suicide Prevention Day, the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) is using the day to raise awareness around mental health.

Under the theme 'Hope Starts with Talking', SADAG is urging the public to have those difficult but necessary conversations.

The mental health support group said that one in four of the calls to its Suicide Crisis Helpline were suicide related.

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The group added that South Africa had about 14,000 deaths from suicide per year.

SADAG project manager, Roshni Parbhoo-Seetha, said that there were still many harmful misconceptions around suicide and depression.

"Another common one is that people who talk about suicide simply won't do it. The reality is that many people who are struggling do give warning signs and depression isn't just feeling sad, it's a deep painful illness that affects the way that you think, it affects the way that you feel and it affects the way that you function every single day."