At least one person commits suicide every three days in Lebanon. Speculations show a potential 25% increase in suicide rates this year compared to the previous period.

Those numbers, collected by General Security personnel, were revealed by Head of the Psychiatric Ward at the American University of Beirut (AUB), Dr. Ziad Nahhas.

Nahhas deemed the said rates as smaller than those in European or American societies, noting that the numbers are certainly higher than publicly revealed but are covered-up due to religious, social and cultural factors that overshadow Lebanon.

Men have historically been more likely to commit suicide than women, but a new, vulnerable group is emerging from their ranks: middle-aged men. That age group includes comedian Robin Williams, who committed suicide last month at age 63. The rate for middle-aged men now eclipses older men, who historically have had the highest rate of suicide.

Nahhas clarified that not all those who attempt to commit suicide really want to die but would like to release some their pain, adding that they must not be considered weak, selfish or attention seekers because suicide is related, 90 % of the time, to depression, drug addiction or mental illnesses.

Efforts to prevent suicide have been celebrated on World Suicide Prevention Day - September 10th - each year since 2003. In 2014, the theme of World Suicide Prevention Day is 'Suicide Prevention: One World Connected.' The theme reflects the fact that connections are important at several levels if we are to combat suicide.

Every year, over 800,000 almost people die from suicide; this roughly corresponds to one death every 40 seconds. The number of lives lost each year through suicide exceeds the number of deaths due to homicide and war combined.