SAMH's Shona Straiton on why we mustn't be afraid of discussing suicide.
Last month, it was announced that Scotland’s suicide rate has fallen again, in total by over 17% in the last 10 years.
This year’s stand-alone figures also show the largest year-on-year drop since records began.
This week is Suicide Prevention Week and although this is welcome news for everyone working in this area, there is a need for cautious optimism in the face of these remarkable figures.
In spite of the recent drop, we still lose almost two people to suicide every day in Scotland, more than 70% of them men. We need to do more to understand suicide and its impact on Scotland’s communities.
Asking about suicide will not put the idea into the person’s head or make things worse; it might even save their life
Having worked in suicide prevention for almost eight and a half years now, I have seen huge changes in the way we respond to suicide; the stigma around suicide is being openly challenged, different organisations are working together to provide a genuine response to people when they are at risk of suicide and there have been massive efforts to reduce the health inequalities that see someone in the most deprived areas of Scotland up to three times more likely to die by suicide.
For SAMH, however, the core message hasn’t changed – the key to preventing suicide lies in being able to talk openly about suicide.
If you are reading this and are thinking about suicide yourself, tell someone you trust and don’t try to cope alone. If you are worried someone might be thinking about suicide, ask them as clearly as you can what’s going on.
Asking about suicide will not put the idea into the person’s head or make things worse; it might even save their life. It can be hard to know where to begin if you’re worried about someone and SAMH has a range of resources which can help support you and the person you are worried about, our "How To Ask" card is a great place to start.
Go to the SAMH website for tips on how to start the conversation.
Shona Straiton is community support network service manager at the Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH) in Glasgow.
