Preventing suicide is everybody’s business
Dan Farthing, Head of Suicide Prevention at SAMH, writes about the support on offer, and the role we can all play in helping to prevent suicide
20th September 2022
Last year, 753 people took their own life. The loss of every one of those lives is a tragedy which is felt every day by grieving friends, families, and colleagues.
We know that mental health services are more stretched than ever as they struggle to meet demand post-pandemic. Suicide rates are consistently more than three times higher in the most deprived areas, and the cost-of-living crisis is putting more and more households under pressure. A recent study from the University of Stirling found that a quarter of young people referred to specialist mental health services are suicidal, and that even when in crisis, they faced a ‘postcode lottery’ to access services.
However, help is out there. Alongside dedicated suicide prevention and crisis services, SAMH is reaching out to offer support.
Through our website you can access a range of resources, from guidance on how to live with suicidal thoughts, or support someone who is, to practical advice on what to do after a suicide. We’ve recently translated some of these publications into Polish, Urdu, and Punjabi to ensure these publications are accessible to more people.
Our community-based services offer mental health support to a wide range of people, including those who are struggling with suicidal thoughts; and last year our staff carried out 269 suicide interventions. Projects like The Changing Room, which runs at football stadiums across Scotland, bring together like-minded people to talk about mental health, but we know that starting that conversation in the right environment has led to many participants opening up about suicide for the first time.
In the North East of Scotland, the SAMH team deliver suicide prevention training to organisations and individuals across Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, and Moray, equipping them with the skills to help someone at risk of suicide. We work in partnership with local authorities, blue light services, and the NHS, and analyse and respond to real-time data. With pandemic restrictions lifted, we are also increasing our face-to-face work in communities across the region.
However, preventing suicide is everybody’s business; we all need to play our part. You don’t need to be a trained psychologist to lend a listening ear, and people living with suicidal thoughts often tell us about the huge difference that can make. Your role as a friend, family member, neighbour, colleague, isn’t to ‘fix’ things – but you could make things that little bit easier and help them on the path to recovery.
Whether you’re the person living with suicidal thoughts, or worried about someone who might be, there’s no denying that starting the conversation about suicide is a scary prospect. But please remember the power of genuinely reaching out to someone – anyone – could literally save a life.
If you’re thinking of suicide and want to speak to someone now, you can contact the Samaritans 24/7, free of charge, on 116 123
