Suicide – let’s talk about it
Tuesday, August 29 2006
This year's Suicide Prevention Awareness Week starts on 4 September, and Choose Life, the organisation charged with reducing Scotland’s suicide rate, is urging the public to ignore taboos and 'talk about it'.
"Just talking may help someone to step back from the brink of despair," explained Haylis Mackay, Choose Life, Development
Officer based at Scottish Borders Council. “If you are concerned that someone may be in danger of taking their own life,
it is vital to talk to them, listen to them and take them seriously.”
On average, two people commit suicide every day in Scotland. At 763 deaths in 2005, the Scottish suicide rate is higher than in other parts of the UK.
Three times as many men as women take their own lives. The most vulnerable groups are young men, while the fastest growing sector, up 15.5% since 2000, is men aged 35 and 44. About three out of four suicides are committed by people who have not been in contact with mental health services in the year before death.
SBC Councillor Carolyn Riddell-Carre, Joint Executive Spokesperson for Social Work, said, "Suicides cause dreadful devastation, not just to the individual who has found life unbearable, but to their family, friends and even the wider community.
"We must do everything we can to help people who may be at the edge of despair. The evidence is that we can make a difference simply by talking, listening and being more aware of how people are feeling."
Haylis Mackay added, "Although we are starting to see a downward trend in male suicide rates in general (down 9.6% since 2000), the majority of suicides in Scotland are still overwhelmingly of men. We want to focus our prevention campaign on men, and particularly those aged 35 to 44."
"Men generally find it more difficult than women to talk about their feelings, but one subject they do discuss at length is sport. Because of this we have, over the past few years, used the supposedly macho worlds of rugby and football to emphasise the importance of talking to, and listening to, people who might be suicidal. You don’t have to be a professional to help. Just being there for someone may be all that is needed to save a life."
Choose Life has enlisted the help of the Border Reivers rugby team and Eyemouth Football team, who will be wearing Choose Life wristbands during the week. Public awareness talks, called suicideTALK sessions, will be held at local rugby clubs on 4 and 7 September (see below for details).
Choose Life also wants to encourage more people to train in Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) to give them the confidence to support people who may be suicidal. The courses are free of charge to those living and working in the Borders. They are run every six to eight weeks at the Langlee Complex, Galashiels. An introduction to the training will be given at the suicideTALK sessions.
Andrew Lowe, SBC Director of Social Work, said, "I have been encouraged by the reduction in suicides in recent years, but numbers remain stubbornly high among younger men. That’s why we stress the importance of talking. The medium of sport is a good way to introduce difficult topics, and I’m very grateful for the co-operation of some of our leading sports clubs in this venture."
SuicideTALK sessions will be held on the following dates during Suicide Awareness Week:
Monday 4 September
10:30am – Melrose Rugby Football Club
2:30pm – Peebles Rugby Football Club
Thursday 7 September
10:30am – Selkirk Rugby Football Club
2:00pm – Jedburgh Rugby Football Club.
For more information, please contact Haylis Mackay, Choose Life Development Officer, at SBC. Tel: 01835 42000 ext 5875. Additionally there is information on support for people who are concerned about suicide.
- About three out of four suicides are committed by people who have not been in contact with mental health services in the year before death.
- The risk of death by intentional self harm or undetermined intent in the most deprived areas of Scotland is almost double the Scottish average.
- Suicide deaths most commonly occur on a Monday.
The Choose Life initiative was established in December 2002 as a 10-year plan to reduce suicides in Scotland by 20% by 2013. It draws on the experience and expertise of the relatives of people who had attempted or completed suicide, health and social care workers, teachers, young people, suicide survivors, public health specialists, voluntary and community agencies and others.
Choose Life supports a variety of projects in the Borders, including:
- The Penumbra Youth Project Positive Choices initiative, which operates in Hawick, Kelso, Galashiels and Duns. The programme encourages young people to replace self harm and risk taking behaviours, such as binge drinking, with activities such as going to the gym, art classes and sorting out their domestic lives.
- Post-natal depression projects in Galashiels and Eyemouth, including one-to-one counselling sessions, group work and art therapy.
- Improved training for staff within Borders General Hospital to help those coming to hospital after suicide attempts or self harm.
- Training Courses in Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) for helping people who are suicidal and Scotland’s Mental Health first Aid (SMHFA) to help those facing a mental health problem.
Unified Solutions.