The biggest risk group are men older than 80 years, but young girls between 15 and 24 years old also belong to the risk groups. Yet doctors talk about hopeful figures. On average there is a decrease of 30 percent in Flanders. Gwendolyn Portzky of the Flemish Expertise Center explains: “Many steps have already been taken in the right direction, also for people who are struggling. Our goal is to ensure that people know that suicide is not the only way out.”
Making the theme negotiable is therefore essential. In Flanders there is still the taboo that we should not talk about that, but that is not true according to Portzky.