Suicidal Behavior in Iran

Iran is a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic country with more than 83 million inhabitants, located in the World Health Organization’s Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR). Based on the 2013–2014 global survey of suicide prevention activities, Iran is the only country within the EMR that has developed a National Suicide Prevention Program (NSPP). The NSPP in Iran was integrated into primary health care (PHC) in 2010 by the Ministry of Health. Iran's Forensic Medicine Organization (IFMO) reported 6244 suicides in 2021, which is 7.43 deaths per 100,000 population. Experts from the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) and the World Health Organization (WHO) visited Iran in 2016 and, with the help of national experts, conducted a rigorous evaluation of Iran’s NSPP and its activities. The findings of this evaluation indicate that Iran has the potential to take a leadership role in suicide prevention within the EMR. Iran has established a reasonably comprehensive NSPP within its PHC system. Because of the fact that Iran's situation is unstable, the NSPP needs to be monitored, evaluated, and adjusted based on evidence generated by research and ongoing changes in the needs of the Iranian people and the country.