Suicide: Why we must continue to work together to save lives - HEY Magazine

Suicide: Why we must continue to work together to save lives

Suicidal feelings can affect anyone, of any age, gender or background, at any time, although research shows that men and people from LGBTIQ+ communities are more at risk of taking their own life.

The Humber Coast and Vale Health and Care Partnership continue to work in collaboration with their communities, to train the public, reduce the stigma around suicide and remain innovative. #TalkSuicide is the suicide prevention campaign ran by the Humber, Coast and Vale Health and Care Partnership. One of the ways that they tackle stigma and raise awareness is by going out into their communities to offer training to the public.

Even throughout a global pandemic, the training has been accessed regularly and thanks to extensive promotion in all areas of HCV via partner organisations, the number of people completing the training has continued to rise. Since January 2020, over 13,500 have taken the training and are now better equipped to: • SEE - Identify the signs of when someone might be suffering from suicidal thoughts • SAY - Feel comfortable speaking out about suicide in a supportive manner. • SIGNPOST - Signpost anyone suffering to the correct services and support

Men

Middle-aged men are more likely to die by suicide than any other age group, in fact, suicide is the leading cause of death for men aged 45-49. It's not clear why more men than women take their own lives. But if you identify as a man, you may: • Feel pressured to 'get on with things' and keep your thoughts and feelings to yourself • Choose suicide methods that have a lower chance of survival • Believe you can cope without help, or feel you have to cope without help • Worry that you will appear weak if you talk about your feelings or seek support.

Whilst it may seem weak for a man to come forward to get help, it is important to remember that everyone deserves support, and there are services such as Andy’s Man Club who can help.

People from LGBTIQ+ communities

Being LGBTIQ+ doesn’t cause suicidal thoughts and feelings, but some things LGBTIQ+ people go through can affect their mental health, such as discrimination, homophobia or transphobia, social isolation, rejection, and difficult experiences of coming out.

It’s important to note that embracing being LGBTIQ+ can have a positive impact on someone’s wellbeing too. It might mean they have more confidence, a sense of belonging to a community, feelings of relief and self-acceptance, and better relationships with friends and family.

A recent study by Stonewall found that over the previous year:

• Half of LGBTIQ+ people had experienced depression and three in five had experienced anxiety • One in eight LGBTIQ+ people aged 18-24 had attempted to end their life • Almost half of trans people had thought about taking their life.

Humber, Coast and Vale Health and Care Partnership • Despite Covid-19, partners across Humber, Coast and Vale have continued to deliver new services to prevent suicides, and there has never been a more crucial time to have a conversation around suicide prevention. Working closely with partners such as Hull and East Yorkshire Mind, First Ladies club, The Bearded Fisherman, Andy’s Man Club, The Humber Bridge Board and local emergency services, new services have been commissioned and lives have been saved.

Whilst a lot of work is still to do, it is important to note that in the 2020 Office of National Statistics (ONS) report, agestandardised mortality rate (ASMR) in Yorkshire and The Humber decreased significantly compared with 2019. This was one of the only significant changes in English regions, when comparing 2020 with 2019.

Training can be accessed via www.talksuicide.co.uk and businesses are also encouraged to support the campaign by requesting a FREE business resource pack. The pack contains helpful resources that will support a business to roll out the free training to their workforce.

Jo Kent Suicide Prevention Programme Lead