The president of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, together with the Minister of Social Welfare and Inclusion, Marciano Acuña, and the director of the School of Sanitary and Social Services of the Canary Islands (ESSSCAN), José Montelongo, presented this Friday the program of the 'I Conference on Suicide Prevention', which will be held on the island on February 29.
During the event, Oswaldo Betancort expressed his "deepest gratitude to all the people involved in the organization of this event, which has the collaboration of the Department of Social Welfare of this Cabildo, directed by Marci Acuña, and the General Directorate of Mental Health and Addictions of the Ministry of Health of the Government of the Canary Islands".
Betancort explained that "the Canary Islands is the third autonomous community with the highest number of suicides, and in Lanzarote, during the past year, around 30 people decided to end their lives" and acknowledged that "suicidal behavior is a serious and serious problem, traditionally taboo, and that has a special incidence in one of the most sensitive segments of society, such as adolescents and young people".
For this reason, the president highlighted the celebration of these conferences and workshops to "shed light, fundamentally, from the point of view of prevention and treatment. From the Cabildo of Lanzarote and La Graciosa we will always support initiatives of this type", Betancort stressed, "that help to clarify the reasons why these behaviors arise, their warning signs and their factors of influence".
In this sense, Marciano Acuña commented that "the celebration of these conferences is due to the concern we have from the Cabildo to intervene and collaborate to address the problem we have in the area of Mental Health". "In addition, this year," the counselor advances, "we will launch different training actions in schools in order to prevent and raise awareness among young people, which will also involve the incorporation of professionals and psychologists in all secondary education centers on the island".
For his part, the director of the School of Sanitary and Social Services of the Canary Islands (ESSSCAN), José Montelongo, assured that "detecting as soon as possible, through the professionals of the Mental Health Area, suicidal behaviors among the youngest is essential to address this serious problem from its beginning".
Objectives of the conference
These 'I Conference on Suicide Prevention' are aimed at health professionals, both Mental Health, Public Health, Primary Care and other specialties, as well as other professionals in the clinical field such as managers and key non-health professionals in matters of Education, Social Rights, Minors, Youth, Employment, Housing, Justice, among others and the associations involved.
Among the topics to be addressed are the prevention of suicidal behavior in the child and youth population; the keys to its prevention in the educational field and group intervention in minors with emotional dysregulation and suicidal behavior, highlights the Cabildo.
Along with the different presentations and round tables, there will also be a workshop, in the afternoon, aimed at students of ESO, Baccalaureate and Vocational Training, with the aim of training students in basic notions for the detection and management of suicidal risk and thus prevent risks and acquire skills and abilities for the correct approach and management of the minor or adolescent with suicidal behavior, he adds.
A cast of prestigious and expert professionals in the field of Mental Health and Education in the Canary Islands will be part of the speakers of these conferences, which will be held during the day of February 29 in the Assembly Hall of the Cabildo of Lanzarote.
