Surgeon General Message: September tenth marks World Suicide Prevention Day

September 8, 2025 – Defence Stories

Suicide is a fancy and devastating occasion that always leaves friends and family members with many unanswered questions. Those going through a lack of a cherished one via suicide are sometimes left with emotions of shock, despair, and confusion as they navigate their method via a interval of grief. As Surgeon General of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), I wish to reiterate that Suicide Prevention stays a precedence for the Department of National Defence and the CAF.

Suicide Prevention within the CAF/DND

Caption

As Surgeon General of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), I wish to reiterate that Suicide Prevention stays a precedence for the Department of National Defence and the CAF. Suicide Prevention is on the core of our psychological well being companies and the varied applications we provide to assist our members’ psychological well being.

Photo : Cpl Jennifer Kusche, Canadian Forces Combat Camera

Suicide Prevention is on the core of our psychological well being companies and the varied applications we provide to assist our members’ psychological well being. It is the duty of all CAF members and DND workers to actively take part in suicide prevention by contributing to and selling a psychologically protected, inclusive tradition through which all Defence Team members really feel revered, valued, and accepted. The local weather that leaders set with respect to attitudes in the direction of psychological well being care can affect care-seeking for psychological well being issues, and leaders play a key function in monitoring the well being and well-being of their workforce.

Resources for CAF/DND Leaders and Employees

I encourage all CAF/DND personnel to take an energetic function in suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention (an organized response within the aftermath of a suicide or suicide try) by accessing the next sources:

The CAF understands the numerous impression suicide has on households, family members, and the CAF group as a complete, and repeatedly strives in the direction of lowering boundaries to care, together with eliminating stigma round psychological well being and suicide, and enhancing our applications and companies.

If you or somebody is experiencing psychological well being struggles, there’s assist out there:

Together, we will all assist to stop suicide via efficient management, excellence in well being care, and being engaged and conscious members. Thank you for supporting our efforts to assist the psychological well being of our CAF members.

Merci, Thank you, Meegwetch