Introduction and objective: Evaluation of the effectiveness of activities undertaken in 2021 to prevent suicidal behaviour under Operational Objective 3: Promoting Mental Health of the National Health Programme 2021–2025. Materials and methods: Development and compilation of information on the implementation of suicide prevention activities, based on data from the National Institute of Public Health – National Institute of Hygiene, including suicide rates for the corresponding period. Results: A total of 109 local initiatives and 28 nationwide activities related to suicidal behaviour prevention were implemented in 2021. The highest number of initiatives was undertaken in the Pomorskie Voivodeship (16), Mazowieckie Voivodeship (12), and Warmińsko-Mazurskie Voivodeship (12). A total of 82,991 individuals benefited from local activities. Compared to the previous year, there was a slight increase in the number of completed suicides in 2021. In the general population, the rate rose by 0.6%. Among men, it decreased by 0.6%, whereas in the female population, it surged by as much as 9%. Conclusions: The analysis revealed disparities in access to suicide prevention activities and a low level of interest in such initiatives in areas with the highest rates of suicidal behaviour. This highlights the need to target future prevention efforts toward residents of these regions, not only through centrally coordinated actions but also by engaging local government units. Particular emphasis should be placed on addressing the identified needs of women, children, and young people.
Kielan et al. (Thu,) studied this question.