Stormont urged to prioritise suicide prevention initiative

Stormont urged to prioritise suicide prevention initiative

4 December 2024

THE district’s leading suicide charity has this week said it is not too late for the Stormont administration to show it will make suicide prevention a priority.

Suicide Down to Zero’s appeal to the Assembly follows the charity’s concern at the latest increase in the number of people taking their own life, but insists vital suicide prevention work carried out by its dedicated volunteers goes on.

Recent figures released by the Northern Ireland Statistical Research Agency (NISRA) reveal that there has been an eight per cent increase in the number of reported suicides.

In 2022 in Northern Ireland, 203 people took their own life, with the figure for last year increasing to 221.

The Downpatrick-based charity said everyone should be concerned about the increased number of suicides.

“It means that alongside the over 200 families each year who struggle with the loss of a loved one, they have been joined by 18 more and friendship groups experiencing sudden and traumatic loss,” said a Suicide Down to Zero (SDZ) spokesman. “Overall, each suicide death affects up to 135 people.”

Despite the rise in deaths, the charity said it was important to remain hopeful and, crucially, continue its vital suicide prevention work. 

The spokesman pointed to the recent initiative announced by South Eastern Trust which, as part of a pilot project, has placed mental health nurses to work alongside Northern Ireland Ambulance Service  staff in its call centres.

The nurses assess those who contact the Service in a mental health crisis, with the scheme aiming to provide more appropriate help to these people in distress and should result in less people waiting on ambulances or in an emergency department.

SDZ has commended the health trust for “this timely initiative” and called on the organisation to consider setting up a single point crisis centre for all those in psychological distress either due to self-harm, suicidal thoughts, suicidal behaviour or alcohol drug misuse.

“The call for a dedicated centre, away from the current emergency departments has already been made by the Down Community Health Committee and SDZ endorses that call,” said the spokesman.

The charity said it is excited about the new development workers it has recruited who have begun to work with schools, sports clubs and companies to help them apply SDZ`s “whole system approach’ to creating suicide safer environments.

The spokesperson added that the charity is very hopeful that the workers, with the full backing of SDZ’s management board, and with funding through public donations, will “reduce the number of people dying by suicide and bring us closer to zero suicide deaths”.

Working across the district, the charity was founded on the belief that there is no acceptable level of suicide and says it is a “preventable phenomenon, not an inevitable one”.

SDZ insists suicide is a public health issue not a mental health issue as while mental illness and suicide are related, they certainly are not synonymous and that the only way suicide can be prevented is if it is talked about openly and directly and that simply telling people to get help is not enough.

The charity’s development workers are piloting a new seven element model in schools, sports clubs and workplaces to enable them to become suicide down to zero environments.

The elements are leadership and governance, mental health and wellbeing promotion, suicide awareness and prevention, training, suicide intervention and ongoing community support, healing after suicide and evaluation.

If the new initiative proves successful, SDZ plans to spread the approach to include youth clubs, carers groups and community associations.

The charity believes everyone can make a contribution to saving lives from suicide by raising awareness, being trained in suicide first-aid, or helping those who have survived a suicide attempt or helping a family who is suffering the loss of a loved one to suicide.

In 2019, SDZ successfully campaigned for Newry Mourne and Down Council to adopt a suicide down to zero approach.