Yesterday, Tuesday 10th September 2019, an event titled ‘Highland Conversation for Suicide Prevention Week’ was held as part of Suicide Prevention Day in Inverness. The event was organised by the Highland Multi Agency Suicide Prevention Group in partnership with Dr Amy Chandler from the University of Edinburgh. The event attracted a great range of participants and invited speakers all commented on the buzz and energy in the room, recognising this to be enthusiasm to work to address the local issue of deaths by suicide.
We were delighted to attract Rose Fitzpatrick, (Twitter: @Rose_Fitzp) Chair of the National Suicide Prevention Leadership Group (NSPLG) as our keynote speaker. Rose updated us on the work of the NSPLG, spoke of the need to talk more openly about stigma and suicide, and described the group’s ambition to have a movement of suicide prevention across Scotland.
Dr Amy Chandler (Twitter: @DrAmyChandler) gave an update on her research on suicide from a sociological point of view, considering “what’s going on in someone’s head” at the point where they see suicide as the answer to their issues.
Keith Walker (Twitter: @Kthwlkr) updated the group on the recent West Highland research done for Samaritans. This work has given useful insight into how some people from Highland feel about suicide and some factors which might influence it, such as social isolation and loneliness, and the frequency of suicides in some areas having a normalising effect. Group sessions sought local opinions on suicide on the specific aspects of Young People, Men, Remote & Rural, Support after a Suicide, Crisis Support and Social Isolation/Loneliness. There was rich discussion, which will all feed in to the local work going on to #PreventSuicideHighland