Grassroots collaborations to address the trauma of suicide: Establishing the first suicide prevention lifeline in the republic of Armenia

Abstract

As recent suicide statistics reveal, suicide can affect people of all demographics and regions. At an international level, suicide is one of the leading causes of death. Although it is unclear as to why suicide rates are increasing across the globe, proposed reasons include economic instability, the opioid crisis, and a lack of meaning. Therefore, it becomes critical to both educate and provide interventions to people contemplating suicide to help prevent an increase in suicides. The 7-Step Integrative Healing Model and telephone lifelines can serve as useful interventions as well as educational tools on emotional management and psychological care. In this paper, we present a case study of the establishment of a suicide prevention lifeline in Armenia, with emphasis on lessons learned from grassroots partnerships between MeaningfulWorld and the local communities.