In 2024, for the first time in several years, the number of suicides in Poland decreased; however, the scale of the problem remains significant. Poland is currently undergoing a psychiatric reform, with the greatest emphasis on shaping care through community-based support. Experts also highlight the need to maintain grassroots initiatives and increase public awareness about suicide prevention. An especially important aspect is the appropriate shaping of media discourse and educating about the key principles of emotional first aid.
“In 2024, for the first time in over a decade, we observed a significant decline in suicides in the general population — approximately 7%. For the first time in many years, the number of suicides in Poland fell below 5,000, and most importantly, the largest decrease was recorded among children and youth up to 19 years of age — as much as 12%, which is a light of hope. Regarding suicide attempts, there was a slight increase in the general population of about 6%, and among children, around 3%, so the growth trend in this age group is slowing down,” said Dr. Halszka Witkowska from the Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology in Warsaw, an expert at the Office for Suicide Prevention and vice president of the Polish Suicidological Society, in an interview with the Newseria agency.
A report prepared by the Office for Suicide Prevention based on data from the National Police Headquarters shows that in 2024, the number of suicides in Poland amounted to 4,845, compared to 6,165 a decade earlier — a decrease of 21.4%. Just in the last year, the number dropped by nearly 400 cases, or 7.4%, the largest decline in ten years. Police data indicate that about 13 people die by suicide every day in Poland, 11 of whom are men. Among people aged 19 to 64, men commit 86% of suicides. In the under-19 age group, girls account for 43% of suicides.
“Suicidal behaviors are influenced on one hand by individual factors, and on the other by situational, environmental, social, and cultural factors. Social factors include events such as the war in Ukraine, the pandemic, and the economic crisis. We do not yet know how these will impact residents of the most affected areas, so it is difficult to forecast at this time. We should remember that the severity of a crisis is one thing, but whether people experiencing it have the appropriate resources to cope is another. It is difficult to make predictions for the future, but we can definitely note that the actions undertaken in Poland are beginning to show effects, so they need to be strengthened and continued,” emphasized Dr. Witkowska.
A fundamental aspect of shaping the mental health of Poles is the ongoing reform of Polish psychiatry. Its goal is to reverse the current hospital-based model in favor of community support. Changes are proceeding on two fronts — regarding psychiatry for children and youth and for adults. Since 2020, about 500 facilities providing community support for children and youth have been established. Each province also already has a Center for Highly Specialized 24-hour Psychiatric Care. Changes in adult psychiatry are occurring more slowly. Since 2018, there has been a pilot program for Mental Health Centers — the longest pilot in history, extended until the end of this year. By then, these solutions are expected to cover about 80% of the country’s population. Currently, it covers about half.
“There are more and more support places in Poland, although not everywhere yet. There are still rural areas, small towns, and sometimes even large cities with waiting lists. But despite this, access to help is growing. There are Mental Health Centers, community support points for children and youth, so we have more and more such places, and hopefully, this will contribute to the declining number of suicides or serve as a positive resource when facing another serious social crisis,” assessed the expert from the Polish Suicidological Society.
There is also a National Program for Suicide Prevention run by the Ministry of Health for 2021–2025. The expert adds that grassroots initiatives are as important as systemic changes.
“For example, the help service ‘Life is Worth Talking About,’ which provides free and anonymous assistance across Poland, not only to people in crisis but also to their loved ones. Free consultations are offered for parents of children in suicidal crisis, for bereaved individuals, for teachers, and for schools where a student has attempted or died by suicide. This help is becoming increasingly accessible,” the expert noted.
She also emphasized the importance of cooperation with journalists. The World Health Organization drew attention to this in 2023 by publishing guidelines on how to report on suicide-related issues in articles and media materials. In Poland, as part of the National Suicide Prevention Program, media monitoring is conducted, and training for journalists is organized.
“The Office for Suicide Prevention has already undertaken several thousand interventions. Over 700 interviews with experts have been conducted, promoting emotional first aid and explaining how to recognize a suicidal crisis and how to respond,” added Dr. Halszka Witkowska.
According to the expert, emotional first aid should follow the 4-step principle: notice, ask, accept, and respond.
“The first step is to notice a person in crisis. It is important to recognize warning signs such as social withdrawal, reluctance to engage in activities, talking about feeling hopeless, and a drop in self-esteem. The second is to ask questions: what are you struggling with, do you have suicidal thoughts? This is a very important step. The third is to accept that the person’s current problems are significant enough for them to actually think about death. Only the fourth step is to respond — provide help and encourage the person to see a specialist,” advised the suicidologist.
