The SAMU 061 attends to more than 2,100 cases for suicidal behavior in the Balearics until August and registers 35 deaths
The Telephone of Hope registers 2,503 calls in six months, almost 50% more than last year, and warns of the increase in self-harm
PalmaThe Balearic Islands are facing an increase in requests for help related to emotional suffering and suicidal behavior. The Telephone of Hope (Telephone of Hope) has handled 2,503 calls during the first semester of 2026, almost 50% more than in the same period last year, while the SAMU 061 has received 2,138 alerts for suicidal ideation or attempts between January and August, with 35 deaths recorded. The figures were released by the Government on the occasion of World Suicide Prevention Day, which is commemorated this Thursday, in a context in which administrations and entities insist on the need to detect and address suffering before it leads to suicidal behavior.
In the case of the Telephone of Hope, the 2,503 calls in the first semester represent an average of 14 requests for help each day. The majority profile of the people who use the service is that of adult women between 45 and 60 years old, married, separated, divorced, or widowed. Self-harm, existential crises, and eating disorders are among the main reasons for consultation, along with situations of gender-based violence, grief, migration, social exclusion, and problems related to housing.
One of the increases that most concerns the entity is that of non-suicidal self-harm. During the first six months of the year, it has assisted 14 people for this reason, double that of the same period last year. The spokesperson for the Telephone of Hope, Lino Salas, explained that people who self-harm often do so with the aim of stopping or relieving anxiety.
Consultations related to suicidal behavior have also increased. In total, 66 people have asked for help for this issue during the first semester, compared to 47 in the same period last year. Salas attributes part of the increase to the fact that the service is increasingly well-known and reaches more people.
2,138 alerts to 061 and 35 deaths in eight months
The data from the SAMU 061 also show the extent of situations related to suicidal behavior. Between January and August, the emergency health service received 2,138 calls for ideations or suicide attempts, with 35 registered deaths. The figure is already approaching that of the whole of 2025, when the 061 received 2,488 notices for these reasons –an average of 6.8 each day– and 49 deaths were recorded.
Regarding completed suicides, the provisional data from the National Statistics Institute (INE) cited by the Ministry of Health indicate that the Balearic Islands registered 94 deaths by suicide in 2025: 70 men and 24 women. This is four fewer than in 2024, when 98 were registered. In the country as a whole, suicide continues to be the leading external cause of death. In 2025, 3,808 deaths were recorded for this cause, according to the provisional data from the INE.
Coinciding with World Suicide Prevention Day, the Government's Directorate General for Mental Health will launch the #EveryConversationCounts campaign, an initiative that seeks to involve citizens in the detection and prevention of suicidal behaviors. The campaign includes a series of videos featuring people with lived experience and professionals from the IB-Salut and different entities. The central message is that "anyone can play an important role in suicide prevention".
The Ministry of Health insists that it is not necessary to have all the answers or know exactly what to say to a person who is suffering. "Often, the most important thing is to be there, listen, show interest and let the other person know that they are not alone," points out the department led by Manuela García. Health also reminds that talking about suicide in a responsible way does not increase the risk, but can help detect situations of suffering, encourage the request for help and reduce stigma. The campaign thus makes a call to "talk, listen, accompany and seek support when necessary".
More training and a surveillance system
In addition to the campaign, the Government has reinforced different prevention programs this year. One of them is the suicide prevention literacy program aimed at the university community, developed with the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB), which has already trained nearly 300 students this year and expects to reach 300 more students before the end of the fiscal year.
A care team for people with illness or chronic pain and risk of suicide has also been launched, which supports the care and prevention programs already operating in public hospitals.
Two training editions on how to act in risk situations are scheduled for December, aimed at Firefighters, 112, 061, and police personnel. In addition, the Government plans to train 300 local police officers during the first semester of 2027. At the same time, the General Directorate of Mental Health and the Health Service have begun working on the creation of an epidemiological surveillance system for suicidal behavior in the Balearic Islands. The goal is to turn the available data, currently dispersed, into "useful knowledge to improve prevention".
The project will have the scientific and technical support of a research team from the UIB and will have a budget of 78,169 euros, coming from the funds that the Ministry of Health allocates to the autonomous communities for mental health surveillance. In the event of an emergency or immediate risk situation, 112 has Psychology professionals available. You can also contact the Ministry of Health's suicide behavior helpline, 024, and the Balearic Islands Telephone of Hope (Telephone of Hope), at 971 46 11 12.
