One suicide every 30 seconds: WHO

For every person that succeeds in taking their own life there are at least 20 more who try, the WHO said in a report timed to coincide with World Suicide Prevention Day.

"Today, too many people of all ages needlessly take their own lives," the UN agency was quoted by AFP as saying. "For family and friends affected by suicide or attempted suicide, the emotional impact may last for many years."

The WHO said the global suicide rate was up 60 percent over the last 50 years with an even more marked increase in the developed world.