World Suicide Prevention Day (Month) 2025: Changing the Narrative

Good morning beautiful people,

September 10th is World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD), an initiative of the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP), co-sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO). The day’s goal is to raise global awareness on suicide prevention by equipping people with the tools, resources, and new ways of thinking that make prevention possible.

This year continues the triannual theme that began last year: changing the narrative on suicide.

At My Mind My Funk, we contribute to this effort through our crisis support directory, ensuring Africans have access to the help they need wherever they are in the world. We are constantly expanding the directory with a range of helplines (child lines, substance use support, gender-based violence resources) because access to support is key to changing the narrative.

If you or someone you know needs help, please visit our Crisis Support Directory to find a helpline near you.

World Suicide Day (Month) 2025

For this year’s WSPD (and the broader Suicide Prevention Month), we will be attending two virtual and two in-person events:

• Sept 8: Lives Worth Living Book Release + Author Discussion (In-person | Youth suicide prevention focus - Read my recap)

• Sept 10: Preventing Suicide and Self-Harm in Africa: Start the Conversation (Virtual | WHO Africa Region)

• Sept 11: Suicide Prevention Initiative Launch (Virtual)

• Sept 18: Suicide Prevention Conference (In-person - Read Recap)

How AI is changing the narrative on Suicide

As we continue to change the narrative, we cannot ignore how AI is changing our daily lives.

We have been closely following the evolving role of AI in mental health, how some people are using AI tools for therapy and companionship, and how therapists and other helping professionals are experimenting with AI tools.

At the same time, there are concerning reports suggesting these interactions may contribute to suicide risk e.g Laura Riley ‘What My Daughter Told ChatGTP before She Took Her Life . We believe there is urgent work to be done to explore how these tools can act as protective rather than risk factors (expect upcoming op-eds and conversations from us on this front).

still combing through, but some recurring comments:
1. shared disapproval of AI using first-person pronouns (‘my name is…’, ‘I am here to…’)
2. AI is seen as a private journal for things people are uncomfortable to share, even with their therapists

— sitawa wafula (@sitawa_wafula) August 19, 2025

5. mixed feelings about AI reporting conversations…there is pushback on alerting authorities which may lead to confinement, and reduce trusted avenues for sharing feelings.

— sitawa wafula (@sitawa_wafula) August 19, 2025

We’re not sure to what extent the events we plan to update will address the role of AI, but we look forward to learning and engaging at the events, and sharing our insights with you right here on the blog throughout the month.

Sending love and light,
Sitawa

Update – Sept 19

Attended 2 in-person events (recap links added to the list above). Interestingly, AI did not come up in any of the conversations but there were some amazing takeaways:

1. Change the narrative upstream – the focus should go beyond prevention tactics, it should also be on creating lives worth living, especially for young people.

2. Peer education matters – highlighted both by the keynote speaker’s lived experience and as a core strategy at one of the local universities.

3. Access to care is crucial – a major factor in outcomes, as seen in the university model and in explaining the high rates in the Midwest (US).

4. Everyone is affected, everyone is responsible, from first responders and ER staff to journalists.

• Self-care: Both lived-experience speakers shared practical tools.

• Gatekeeping: The QPR framework was emphasised as a way to step up in prevention.