World Suicide Prevention Day

On 10^th September every year World Suicide Prevention Day is observed. The aim is to provide worldwide commitment and action to prevent suicides, with various activities around the world and locally since 2003. The International Association for Suicide Prevention collaborates with the World Health Organisation and the World Federation for Mental Health.

According to the World Health Organisation, suicide accounts for nearly half of all violent deaths in the world. Brian Mishara President of the International Association for Suicide prevention noted that “more people kill themselves than die in all wars, terrorist acts and interpersonal violence combined.”

The World Health Organisation confirms the widest number of suicides occur in the age group 15 to 29. In richer countries three times as many men die of suicide than women, although females are more likely to attempt suicide than males.

The main suicide triggers are poverty, unemployment, the death of a loved one, arguments and legal or work related problems.

Stigma, particularly surrounding mental disorders and suicide means many people thinking of taking their own life or who have attempted suicide are not seeking help and are therefore not getting the help they need.

Andy’s Man Club is an organisation that was established by Luke Ambler in 2016 after his brother-in-law Andy committed suicide. It is a volunteer led organisation in which men suffering from mental health problems including suicidal tendencies can go for help. It originally started in Halifax but now has many branches, the Oldham club meets at Chadderton well-being Centre at 7 PM every Monday. The organisation now has 17 groups around the country, and it is essentially a talking group, Traditionally, when children, men are bombarded with messages to hide their feelings and therefore often struggle to communicate distressing emotions. In old mill towns such as Oldham the general pervading attitudes of men are that men should be macho and have a stiff upper lip. Men are seen as the breadwinners in the family and the patriarch.

Over time, as industry has changed, jobs have changed, and people’s identity have changed. Men have traditionally struggled with this. The group encourages men to be themselves but also to be vulnerable in a place where it is possible to break the deadlock of male emotional distress built up throughout a lifetime. It is a localised solution to this national problem.

Helplines:

• Samaritans: 116 123 (free, for everyone, 24/7)
• CALM: 0800 585858 (free, for men, 5pm-midnight)
• PAPYRUS: 0800 968 4141 (free, for young people, 9am-10pm Mon-Fri, 2pm-10pm at the weekend)
• Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide (SOBS) have a helpline open 9am-9pm Monday to Friday:
  • 0300 111 5065