One person takes their own life every 40 seconds -- equal to more than 800,000 deaths each year, according to a first-of-its-kind report on suicide causes and prevention, issued by the World Health Organization.

The report was released a week before World Suicide Prevention Day, which is observed on Sept. 10 every year, a news release about the research report said.

Suicide occurs around the globe and can happen at nearly any age, found the new research from the WHO, which is the health agency for the United Nations.

Throughout the world, suicide rates are highest in people aged 70 years and over, although in some countries the highest rates are found among the young; taking one's own life is the second leading cause of death among all 15-29 year-olds globally.

Throughout the planet, it was discovered more men generally die from suicide than women, with three times as many men dying than women in richer countries.

Men aged 50 years and over were found to be especially vulnerable to suicide risks.

Further, an estimated 75 percent of all suicides occur in low- and middle-income countries.

The methods used most frequently for suicide, the report stated, were found to include ingesting pesticide poison, hanging and shooting oneself with a firearm.

As such, evidence compiled in several countries including Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, the United States and several European countries demonstrated that limiting access to such lethal means can prompt a notable decrease in suicide rates.

"This report is a call for action to address a large public health problem which has been shrouded in taboo for far too long" said Dr Margaret Chan, the WHO's director-general.

Reducing access to the means with which people might commit suicide is indeed a way to reduce deaths.

But, said the report, the world's media can also make a difference in the ways the report on the topic of suicide, avoiding language that sensationalizes the act of suicides, as well as chosing not to include in their news pieces explicit description of methods used.

The early identification and management of mental and substance use disorders in communities by health workers, in particular, along with regular follow-up care after initial interventions, are essential to begin establishing a more responsive and pro-active environment.

WHO recommends a range of departments within a government develop comprehensive coordinated response plans.

"No matter where a country currently stands in suicide prevention", said Alexandra Fleischmann, a scientist in the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse at WHO, "effective measures can be taken, even just starting at local level and on a small-scale".

Thanks to the new study, said Shekhar Saxena, director of the WHO's Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, "we know what works. Now is the time to act."