Memorial Publio Cordón Hospital brings together specialists and social organisations to tackle suicide prevention
The conference ‘Suicide Prevention: Can We Really Anticipate It?’ will take place on 24 September and will address the early detection of emotional distress, warning signs and the importance of seeking help in good time
The Publio Cordón Memorial Hospital will host the conference ‘Suicide Prevention: Can We Really Anticipate It?”, an event open to the public that will bring together specialists in psychiatry, institutional representatives and social organisations to address one of the main challenges currently facing mental health: how to recognise situations of distress, encourage early intervention and make support resources available to individuals and families who need them.
The session will take place in the Pilar Muro Auditorium and will focus on early detection, identifying warning signs, the role of families and the wider community, and the importance of seeking professional help when there are concerns.
The event begins with a particularly complex question: is it really possible to anticipate suicidal behaviour? Prevention does not involve interpreting an isolated sign as a prediction, but rather recognising situations that give cause for concern, enabling the person to express their distress, and mobilising support and care resources when necessary.
That is precisely one of the objectives of the event. As Dr María Cordón, founder and CEO of Memorial Publio Cordón Hospital, explains, ‘suicide prevention requires us to be able to talk about mental health with rigour, sensitivity and without stigma. As a hospital, we want to help create spaces where people and their families can better understand what is happening, know when to ask for help and be aware of the resources available to them. Talking, listening and providing support are also part of prevention.”
A reality that continues to require recognition and support
The figures illustrate the scale of a problem that continues to have a significant social and health impact. According to the latest final data from the National Statistics Institute (INE), 3,953 people died by suicide in Spain in 2024, compared with 4,116 recorded in 2023. Suicide also remained the second leading external cause of death in Spain, behind accidental falls.
Beyond the annual trends in the data, these figures highlight the need to continue creating spaces for information, listening and support regarding mental health and suicidal behaviour.
From this perspective, Memorial Publio Cordón Hospital aims to help raise awareness of a reality that is often still shrouded in silence, ignorance and stigma, by providing the public with accurate information and fostering a dialogue that helps people recognise situations of distress and seek help when necessary.
The conference has been organised precisely with this aim in mind: to bring together professionals, families, institutions and social organisations to share knowledge, address concerns and reinforce a fundamental message: when faced with emotional distress, speaking out, listening and asking for help can open up a pathway to support.
In this regard, Dr José Manuel Montes Rodríguez, a specialist in depressive and bipolar disorders, emphasises the importance of distinguishing between predicting and preventing, explaining that ‘we cannot predict suicidal behaviour based on a single sign or through a formula that applies to everyone. ‘We can, however, recognise situations of particular distress, ask questions, listen, carry out a proper clinical assessment and intervene before the crisis escalates. That distinction between trying to predict and actively working on prevention is fundamental.’
Prevention therefore requires addressing each person’s specific situation and avoiding automatic interpretations based solely on a list of warning signs. For family members and those close to the person, the aim should not be to take on a clinical role, but rather to be able to identify changes or expressions that give cause for concern, facilitate a conversation and seek professional help when necessary.
The role of families and the wider social circle
The event will also focus on the role of the immediate social circle and the difficulties families may face in interpreting certain emotional or behavioural changes, particularly during stages such as adolescence.
On this issue, Dr Pilar de Castro Manglano, a specialist in psychiatry, behavioural disorders and ADHD, points out that ‘one of the greatest difficulties for families is knowing when a change is part of a normal stage of life and when it indicates distress that requires attention. It is not a question of becoming alarmed at every change, but of being there for them, observing, asking calmly and listening without judgement. When something is a persistent cause for concern, seeking professional guidance is a way of caring for them’.
One of the key messages regarding prevention is precisely that talking about suicide in an appropriate manner does not in itself lead to suicidal behaviour. The World Health Organisation points out that asking someone if they are thinking about taking their own life does not cause them to act on those thoughts, and that such a conversation can help them feel understood and make it easier for them to seek support.
For this reason, one of the aims of the conference will be to provide a space where professionals, families, institutions and social organisations can reflect together on how to recognise situations of particular vulnerability, how to initiate a conversation, and what resources are available when there is cause for concern.
A health, social and family perspective
Alongside Dr María Cordón, Dr José Manuel Montes and Dr Pilar de Castro Manglano, the event will feature Paloma Tejero Toledo, Mayor of Pozuelo de Alarcón; María Boixader, director of the Amalgama7 Madrid network of centres; José Manuel Dolader, director of the La Barandilla Association; Jaime Domínguez, from the ‘Romper el Silencio’ project; and Isabella Orrego, a 15-year-old writer and author of *El agua no pregunta*.
The participation of individuals from different fields will enable the issue of prevention to be addressed from complementary perspectives: healthcare, families, social organisations, institutions and raising awareness of mental health.
Available support resources
The event will also serve to highlight the support resources available to people experiencing a crisis, as well as to their families and loved ones.
The 024 helpline for suicidal behaviour is a national, free, confidential service available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. In the event of an imminent life-threatening emergency, you should contact 112 directly.
Event: ‘Suicide prevention: can we really anticipate it?’
Date: Thursday 24 September 2026
Time: 6.30 pm
Venue: Pilar Muro
Auditorium, Publio Cordón Memorial Hospital
, Paseo de la Casa de Campo, 5
, 28223 Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid
Free registration: eventos@memorialcordon.com
Limited places.
Participants
Dr María Cordón, founder and CEO of Memorial Publio Cordón Hospital
Ms Paloma Tejero Toledo, Mayor of Pozuelo de Alarcón
Ms María Boixader, director of the Amalgama7 Madrid network of centres
Mr José Manuel Dolader, Director of the La Barandilla Association
Dr José Manuel Montes Rodríguez, specialist in depressive and bipolar disorders
Dr Pilar de Castro Manglano, specialist in psychiatry, behavioural disorders and ADHD
Jaime Domínguez (@jimmy_go), ‘Romper el Silencio’ project
Isabella Orrego, writer, aged 15, author of *El agua no pregunta*
If you or someone you know needs help
The 024 Helpline for suicidal behaviour is a national, free, confidential service available 24 hours a day. It supports people experiencing suicidal behaviour or thoughts, as well as family members and friends. In the event of an imminent life-threatening emergency, you should call 112 directly.
References
1. National Institute of Statistics (INE). Causes of death in Spain, final figures for 2024.
3,953 deaths by suicide in 2024, making it the second leading cause of external death.
https://www.ine.es/ss/Satellite?L=es_ES&c=INECifrasINE_C&cid=1259954814100&p=1254735116567&pagename=ProductsAndServices%2FINECifrasINE_C%2FPYSDetalleCifrasINE
2. World Health Organisation. “Suicide: questions and answers”.
Information on how to approach a conversation with someone who may be thinking about taking their own life and on the importance of seeking help.
https://www.who.int/es/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/suicide
3. Ministry of Health. 024 helpline for suicidal behaviour.
Official information on the availability, free-of-charge nature and confidentiality of the service.
https://www.sanidad.gob.es/linea024/home.htm
