Community / High demand for suicide intervention training
Today is World Suicide Prevention Day
FORTY five people in the Shetland community were trained up in a suicide intervention course held at the Islesburgh Community Centre in Lerwick last week.
The two-day course, delivered by Scottish Action for Mental Health (SAMH), was run twice and was available for all members of the community.
NHS Shetland chief executive Brian Chittick said: “Putting courses on like this in Shetland moves the model away from being service-led, and making it community-led.
“People in the community from all over Shetland, from the mainland right out to the isles, have given up their time to learn the skills to have the right conversation and prevent suicide.”
The course had participants from a variety of front-line care and support services in Shetland, but also consisted of people from the community who felt the skills would be applicable in their personal and professional lives.
Gemma Graham, who works for Anchor for Families, said she “jumped at the chance” to attend.
“Suicide prevention is something I’ve always been passionate about,” she added.
“We all know the impact suicide can have on us individually, but as a community as well. I do believe if we all work together, we can reduce suicide in Shetland.
“We all know someone who has ended their life, or a friend of a friend. It’s something that has impacted the community quite significantly. We have historically had some of the highest rates of suicide in the UK, and it’s felt very deeply within our community.”
The training experienced high demand, with spots quickly being filled up and others were added to a waiting list.
SAMH suicide prevention manager and trainer Liam Yule said: “What an amount of enthusiasm, passion and commitment to support those in suicidal distress we’ve seen over the last five days.
“We’ve had 45 participants over the two courses, and every single one of them has such willingness and care to want to go out of help.”
Trainer David Tough also travelled up to Shetland to deliver the training, and he said: “Everybody this week has been on this course because they want to make a difference.”
Today (10 September) is World Suicide Prevention Day, with this year’s theme being: “Changing the narrative on suicide.”
This covers moving from a culture of silence and stigma around suicide, to a place of openness, understanding and support while prioritising mental health.
It forms part of the wider Suicide Prevention Awareness week.
Chittick added: “We need to have that conversation, about how to give hope, prevent suicide and promote life.
“But that’s only through having that conversation and changing the narrative, that will destigmatise a lot of myth and stigma around suicide.”
Yule explained one way to achieve this could be “getting people comfortable with the word suicide”, adding: “It’s a word we trip over or avoid sometimes, and getting people comfortable with the language used around suicide prevention is really powerful.”
He continued: “It helps reduce that stigma as the knowledge increases.
“Our hope is we now have 45 members of the community who are as comfortable as they can be with the topic of suicide and suicide prevention, but they’re also equipped and skilled to take someone through that conversation as well as knowing what support is out there for people in Shetland.”
Tough also highlighted the one of the most important aspects of suicide prevention: “I think it’s important to remember listening is a great skill no matter how uncomfortable that conversation is. Listening to somebody means we can keep people safe in the community.”
Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) is a suicide first aid training course delivered worldwide, created by LivingWorks in Canada.
Steve Wright, health and safety officer for EMN Plant, joined the course to provide mental health support in his workplace, an industry he felt it was often overlooked.
He said: “Having been through a mental health crisis myself, I feel it’s important to help other people going forward and I’m in that position now.”
The training consisted of a variety of roleplay exercises, and learning the Pathway for Assisting Life (PAL), an intervention model set up to keep the person in suicidal distress ‘safe for now’. It also covered topics such as the ability to recognise invitations for help, and reaching out and offering support.
Ian Edwards, 16+ development worker for Shetland Befriending Scheme, joined the training for both personal and professional reasons.
He said: “I felt the course was applicable to my job, working with elderly and isolated people in the community. But, I’ve also had friends and acquaintances who have committed suicide and I’ve always wondered if there’s something I could have done better, or differently. This was a chance for me to be more pro-active.”
The training was funded by the Shetland Islands Council and Mind Your Head.
Mind Your Head CEO Anouska Civico said that the ongoing Suicide Prevention Awareness week will be “extremely raw” for many people in Shetland.
“Someone recently said to me that the death of a loved one is difficult but losing someone who chose to take their own life is on another level,” she said.
Meanwhile in Scotland it is said that up to an estimated 1 in 20 people are thinking about suicide at any one time.
Nicola Balfour, NHS Shetland health improvement team lead, said: “We know that having thoughts of suicide is common in Scotland. We value taking part in promoting and supporting World Suicide Prevention Day.
“It provides us with a dedicated space that is recognised nationally to have conversations and support those who are living with thoughts of suicide as well as those who have been affected.
“Suicide Prevention Day is every day, and this week we will be using the national awareness day to promote resources and the support that is available to anyone at any time. We want to take the time to remember those in our community, think about those affected, and support each other.”
There are a range of support services available in Shetland for people experiencing suicidal distress, such as the Samaritans helpline which is open 24/7, Mind Your Head, and the NHS Shetland community mental health team.
Shetland Islands Council also hosts a Shetland Directory with a full list of support services available in the community. Contact information is also available on the Healthy Shetland website.
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