New York launches suicide prevention programme

New York: New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has launched a suicide prevention programme in the wake of two high-profile suicides of celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain and fashion designer Kate Spade.

"Two high-profile suicides this week put mental illness front and centre, but while those names were the ones in the press, every day there are thousands of New Yorkers who struggle with suicidal thoughts, and we must do everything we can to support them," Cuomo said in a statement on Friday.

"This innovative pilot programme tailors treatments to the specific needs of individuals and helps bolster our efforts to get people the support they need and keep New Yorkers safe," he said.

Funded through the $3.5 million federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration grant, the Attempted Suicide Short Intervention Programme reframes how suicide attempts are examined in order to develop individualized prevention strategies, reports Xinhua news agency.

Developed in Switzerland, the programme is based on the belief that it is more helpful to view suicide as an action taken in order to reach a goal, rather than simply a symptom of mental illness.

Only by understanding the very individualised path to a suicide attempt can one develop effective prevention strategies.