Zaragoza rapper Chata Flores stars in a video to fight suicide among young people

• This initiative is part of the Suicide Prevention Strategy in Aragon, promoted in 2020 by the DGA Health Department.
• Every three days a suicide is committed in Aragon, where it is already the leading cause of death between 25 and 44 years old.

In Aragon, on average, one suicide is committed every 3 days. It is the first cause of death in the age groups of 25 to 34 years and 35 to 44 years, and the second among the ages of 15 to 25 years. At the national level, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics, in 2021 there was a 63% increase in suicides among children under 15 years of age compared to the previous year. To try to stop this scourge that is increasingly affecting younger people, the Zaragoza rapper Chata Flores has starred in the video 'Talking about su1c1d10 can change your POV' on social networks, aimed at the adolescent and youth audience and in which it encourages those who have suicidal ideations to express their feelings in search of help.

This initiative is aligned with the Aragon Suicide Prevention Strategy, presented in 2020 by the Health Department of the regional Executive with the aim of reducing its impact on society. The video has obtained a total of 111.000 views since it began to be disseminated on December 21 through Instagram, YouTube and TikTok, as well as on the social media profiles of the artist herself, the Government of Aragon, the Aragonese Institute of Youth, the Aragón Health Research Institute (IIS Aragón), the University of Zaragoza and the San Jorge University.

José María Abad, general director of Health Assistance; Óscar López, executive director of IIS Aragón; and Isabel Irigoyen, coordinator of the Suicide Prevention Strategy in Aragon, presented this morning this initiative, carried out by the IIS Aragón and sponsored by the pharmaceutical company Janssen.

Irigoyen has highlighted that suicide is not a vital alternative, but rather it is a consequence of psychological suffering that can be prevented and avoided by receiving health care. “Suicidal behaviors and behaviors are increasing among young people, who have become a risk population. The fact that these ideas appear at such an early age indicates that they will probably be repeated later in life, and that is why it is essential that they know how important it is to talk," Irigoyen highlighted, in contrast to the previous approach with which This mental health problem, considered taboo, has been addressed. “The Suicide Prevention Strategy has sought to create a permeability in society so that suicide can be talked about normally, and in this work the media play a very important role,” he added.

Likewise, Irigoyen has highlighted that 9 out of 10 people emit some signal that could be considered a warning of their intentions. “In these situations we have to dare to ask them, because talking about death does not incite suicide,” he assured.

For his part, the executive director of IIS Aragón thanked Chata Flores for her collaboration and “commitment” to this cause. “It has been a luxury to be able to count on her and it has been fundamental so that the impact of the campaign has been greater among the population to which it is directed,” said López, before also highlighting the “continuous support” of Janssen as a sponsor. of this and many other IIS Aragón projects.

About the Aragón Health Research Institute (IIS Aragón)

The IIS Aragón is the Health Research Institute formed by the “Lozano Blesa” and “Miguel Servet” University Hospitals, Primary Health Care, the University of Zaragoza and the Aragonese Institute of Health Sciences. The objectives of the IIS Aragón are to bring together basic and applied, clinical and health services research; create a quality research, care and teaching environment that integrates health professionals, training specialists and postgraduate and undergraduate students, as well as constitute the ideal place for attracting talent and the location of large scientific-technological facilities.