⚰️ Lithuania has more than halved its suicide rate

• Lithuania's suicide rate has dropped from 44 to 19.5 per 100,000 residents since 2004.
• Free psychological help is now available in all 60 municipalities and reaches over 30,000 people annually.
• Approximately 10,000 people have been trained as so-called gatekeepers who can identify and help people with suicidal thoughts.

From taboo to openness

When Lithuania joined the EU in 2004, the country had a suicide rate of around 44 per 100,000 residents. It was the highest in the region. Today the figure is 19.5 per 100,000. Behind the change lies systematic work that has been ongoing for two decades, writes Reasons to Be Cheerful.

A central part of the strategy has been shifting focus from a medicalized approach to community-based support. In 2007, the Lithuanian government published its first national mental health strategy. In 2015, a suicide prevention bureau followed, and in 2016 an action plan with emphasis on more local services.

Algorithm identifies people at risk

In 2018, a national algorithm for suicide prevention was launched across all medical and social services. The system makes it easier to identify people at risk and offer specialist support. Last year, the algorithm led to 600 people receiving a full package of mental health support services. An additional 1,200 people underwent comprehensive assessments. These are significant numbers in a country with 2.9 million inhabitants.

Free help without referral

Since 2020, free psychological wellbeing services have been available at health centers in all of Lithuania's 60 municipalities. Visitors can come directly without a doctor's referral. The centers help over 30,000 people each year with issues such as stress, depression and anxiety. The goal is to offer support early, before problems escalate.

Ambassadors share their experiences

In 2022, a mental health ambassador program was launched. One hundred ambassadors have been deployed across the country. They share their personal experiences of seeking help when they themselves had suicidal thoughts. The purpose is to change attitudes and behaviors around mental health.

Phone line against loneliness

The organization Sidabrinė Linija, or Silver Line, was founded in 2016 by the couple Marius and Kristina Čiuželis. It is a nonprofit that offers free support to isolated seniors through regular phone calls. Since its inception, the organization has reached 6,000 elderly people.

Suicides among the elderly account for more than 39 percent of all suicides in Lithuania. Loneliness is a major factor. Many elderly people have lost their partner after a long marriage and lack support networks. The organization receives calls from people who have tried to manage on their own but no longer have the strength and need help. For many, the call is a last resort.

In Lithuania, there has long been shame associated with seeking psychological help. This is especially true for older people who lived under Soviet rule from the 1940s to 1990. Many elderly people in small communities are afraid that neighbors will find out about their problems if they see a psychologist. Silver Line works to build trust through conversations and can then refer people to professional support when needed.

Stricter alcohol regulations

Beyond direct mental health interventions, stricter alcohol laws have played a role. During Lithuania's Soviet past, a culture of heavy drinking to numb problems rather than address them became normalized. Tackling this has been crucial as alcohol abuse correlates strongly with the groups at highest risk for suicide in Lithuania: middle-aged and older men in rural areas.

Training creates gatekeepers

The government funds suicide prevention training for so-called gatekeepers. These people learn to recognize signs of suicidal thoughts and how to help. Approximately 10,000 people have completed the training. Half of them have a background in mental health.

The training programs include Safe Talk, a community-based program for the general public, and ASIST, a more advanced two-day course on how to have deeper conversations with people who have suicidal thoughts. Those who complete the training can then become trainers themselves and hold free courses.

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