How to get help for someone who may be suicidal

The death of celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain and fashion designer Kate Spade spotlights the importance of recognizing potential warning signs.

The attention is needed, especially now.

When a high-profile person dies by suicide, the “celebrity-suicide effect” can lead to a rise in copycat deaths.

Also Read: CNN’s Anthony Bourdain dead at 61

In the four months after Robin William’s took his own life in 2014, there was a 10percent increase almost 2,000 additional suicides recorded.

Suicide was the 10th leading cause of death in 2015, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The rates are also rising worldwide, with some one million people dying annually from suicide.

The World Health Organization estimates a global suicide rate of one death every 40 seconds, which by 2020 they predict will increase to one every 20 seconds.

For support, a directory of resources and international hotlines is provided by the International Association for Suicide Prevention.

You can also turn to Befrienders Worldwide that also operates in Kenya.

Another way to help is by supporting the nonprofits that provide suicide counseling, prevention and education.

Volunteers are needed, and some train to become counselors.