70 percent of the services we offer in terms of suicide are done so via WhatsApp

• One word in the right moment can save a life.

• The Citizen Council offers in-person and online counseling 24 hours a day 365 days a year

In the framework of the International Mental Health Day, which is celebrated no October 10^th and that was dedicated to suicide prevention this year, the Citizen Council for Safety and Justice in Mexico City

 Informed that WhatsApp has become an important ally to control suicide conducts, given that 70 percent of counseling services offered during the first nine months of the year have been carried out this way.

Salvador Guerrero Chipres, president of the Council, insisted that opportune attention may save lives, so they have also created alliances with Facebook, Netflix and the Metro Collective Transport System.

“One call in the right moment, one word in the right moment, may be the difference. Here we listen to you regardless of the time or place. There will always be someone who is duly trained to help them”, he said.

In real numbers, the Citizen Council’s psychologists have offered counseling to 690 people, out of which 480 communicated through the Trustworthy Chat 55 5533-5533 and the rest through the Safety Line.

Around 59 percent of the people who asked for help were women, while 39 percent were men; underage children made 31 of the reports.

The World Health Organization (OMS) defines mental health as a state of wellbeing in which the individual is conscious of his own capacities, can confront normal tensions in life, work in a productive and fruitful way, and is able to make a contribution to his community.

“If they have episodes of anxiety, deep depression, feelings of emptiness or helplessness, they can call us or send us a WhatsApp. Don’t hesitate, we’re always there for your,” added Guerrero Chipres.

He insisted that apart from the attention that’s offered through the Trustworthy Chat and the Safety Line, the Citizen Council offers prevention lectures in schools for all education levels and that they train the police so that they can identify signs of alert.

Until now, these actions have aided over 900 people including students, teachers, elder people and police officers.

They also offer personal attention at the “Emotional Recovery Center” located at the premises of the Citizen Council and where, since January, they’ve offered therapy to 29 people, out of which 14 percent have ended their process.

During sessions, psychologists create solutions, this is, behavioral and perception changes with the purpose of improving the way of solving problems or recovering emotional stability, strengthening mental health.

July was the month with the least number of reports, counting only 16, while September was the month with the greatest number of reports, with 357. This was because the alliance with Netflix helped promote the call line at the end of each episode of the series 13 Reasons Why.

Citizen Council for Safety and Justice in Mexico City