Posters at the train station against suicide

Place offers of help where a lot of suicides occur: The latest campaign by the Suicide Prevention Network Austria (Supra) in cooperation with the state of Upper Austria works according to this principle. In Wels and Linz, posters hang at the train station in March drawing attention to the help offered by Crisis Aid Upper Austria, Council on Wire and Telephone Counseling. A QR code leads directly to a chat consultation.

Psychiatrist Katharina Glück from the Wels-Grieskirchen Clinic explains why these two train stations in particular are hotspots for suicides: “We know that train stations near psychiatric wards are used for suicides more often than others. This applies to our hospital in Wels in Linz towards the Neuromedcampus.” Mental illness and suicide are often linked.

State Health Councilor LH-Deputy mentions a second aspect. Christine Haberlander: “We are reaching a particularly large number of people at the train station with this campaign – 1.5 million passengers in Linz in one month.”

According to Silvia Breitwieser from the telephone counseling service, it is important to raise awareness of offers of help before you need them. “If I get support, I am a hero,” the expert wants to encourage people to turn to professional contact points with confidence. “You need someone who understands you and can endure your despair. That way you have the feeling that you are not alone.”

Life-saving medicines

Suicidal thoughts and depression are often linked. Psychiatrist Glück explains how outsiders should deal with such a crisis: “Advice doesn’t help. You need understanding, time and a lot of patience. The more you put pressure and want it to happen quickly, the longer it usually takes.” In some situations, medication is “necessary and life-saving.” However, these only start to work after three to four weeks at the earliest.

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