This summer, the police have responded to more than 100 alarms in train traffic in the county, where people tried to take their own lives. The alarms have increased every summer since 2022, according to figures from the police that SVT Nyheter Stockholm requested.
Four suicide alarms in public transport – the same day
At the end of July, there was one suicide and three suicide attempts in public transport in Stockholm county – in the same 24-hour period, according to the police.
Chief physician Ullakarin Nyberg says it is important that society creates safer environments around train tracks to prevent more people from jumping in front of a train.
– We know that those who jump do so out of an act of impulse. It’s not like we think it’s a person’s last resort. It is also a great tragedy because the probability of surviving is quite small, says Ullakarin Nyberg.
Good access to care places during the summer
For many who feel unwell, the summer can be a vulnerable period, for example when you see other people who are free and are confronted with other people’s happiness, she believes.
– It is so easy to feel alone when you already feel bad mentally.
According to Ola Broström, acting local health care manager for psychiatry in Region Stockholm, the availability of care places in psychiatry has been good during the summer.
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Hear senior physician Ullakarin Nyberg’s best advice on how society can prevent suicide. Photo: Hashi Ahmed/SVT