Anna Blomberg describes her daughter Joline as happy and empathetic with a big heart, who had the ability to see all the people around her.
After her daughter took her own life, Anna has been open about what happened. Partly to prevent speculation, but also because she hopes it can make people dare to talk about mental illness.
– We must become more aware that a person who is unwell does not look or behave in a certain way. We have to get rid of this image that mental illness has to be this person who sits at the back of the classroom and has no friends, says Joline’s mother Anna Blomberg.
“More preventive measures are needed”
September 10 is the International Suicide Prevention Day, which was introduced in 2003 on the initiative of the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) and the World Health Organization (WHO). The day is observed every year with the aim of talking about and increasing knowledge about suicide prevention.
Ullakarin Nyberg, who is a psychiatrist and chief physician at Norra Stockholm’s psychiatry, believes that more preventive measures are needed. Among other things, society should be as safe as possible by securing the surroundings, such as not having unattended railway crossings, for example. But also more support for guardians, parents and others and to strengthen student health.
– I think that you should work more in school to prevent and talk about this and talk specifically about how to help yourself and others. I think that more work should be done to have clinics that are open to this type of problem, where you can quickly get help and support, says Ullakarin Nyberg, psychiatrist and senior physician at Norra Stockholm’s psychiatry.
Need to get better at asking each other for help
Last year there were 1,328 confirmed suicides in Sweden. Ullakarin Nyberg emphasizes the importance of talking to someone about feeling bad and that we need to get better at asking each other for help.
Do we need to ask each other more for help?
– Yes, I think so. I try that myself, to ask for help more often. I think we’re a little bad at it in our culture. It’s like we have to handle everything ourselves, and you don’t. Alone is weak when you feel bad, says Ullakarin Nyberg.
You can turn here regarding suicide and mental illness
Contact a psychiatric emergency department or call 112 if you feel so bad that it feels unbearable, or if you have serious suicidal thoughts or plans.
Below you will find contact routes to other organizations for support and help.
Remember Suicide Linechat via mind.se or by phone 90101. Every day, around the clock.
Bris – Children’s rights in society for you under 18 years of age on phone number 116 111 or chat. Always open.
On-call fellow on phone 08-702 16 80. Every day from 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. You can also chat on their website.
Priest on duty can be reached via 112, ask to speak to the priest on duty. Every day from 21:00 to 06:00. It is also possible to chat or email.
SPEC – National Association for Suicide Prevention and Survivors’ Support 020-181800. All evenings 19–22.
Call phone number 1177 if you need help with where to seek care.
Here there is also a longer list of where you can turn.
The number of confirmed suicides in Sweden
2023: 1328
2022: 1254
2021: 1235
2020: 1180
2019: 1279
2018: 1273
Source: The National Board of Health and Welfare’s cause of death statistics