Stigma and suicide

• In this interview, Jonny Tatam Hall, who lost his best friend, Tom, to suicide, interviews mental health advocate and author of ‘I’m Not As Well As I Thought I Was’, Ruby Wax on her experiences of suicidality:

• “In my view, for workplaces to be truly supportive, staff and managers should feel able to ask the question of their colleagues about suicide and then respond in an appropriate way, such as through signposting for support.” NSPA Lived Experience Influencer, Andy Willis, shares how having a conversation about suicide in the workplace can help organisations become truly supportive.
• “Stop discriminating” Led by Samaritans, the Suicide Prevention Consortium (which includes the NSPA, Support After Suicide Partnership and WithYou) have been exploring suicide and stigma in Roma, Showmen, Gypsy and New Traveller communities. This has included speaking directly with people from these communities to understand their experiences and share what was important to them, including what they want policymakers to know about suicide and stigma, via a series of audiograms. Find out about more this work and hear the audiograms.
• “My self-stigma stopped and, in its place, arrived stigma often from the very people telling me “It’s OK not to be OK”. NSPA Lived Experience Influencer Emma Williams shares her reflections on stigma and living with suicidality.
• “Stigma and fear are holding us back from saving thousands of lives per year from dying by suicide and millions more being bereaved, exposed to, or affected by suicide. This conversation can no longer wait.”  NSPA Lived Experience Influencer Helen Birch shares her experience of being bereaved by suicide and reflects on why talking about suicide is so important. 
• “Stigma can affect anyone. That is why being mindful of our language is not just for professionals and organisations, but work we should all be doing.” Hollie Starling, an NSPA Lived Experience Influencer and member of the working group for the NSPA’s Language Matters campaign shares why language is so important and what we can all be doing to challenge stigma around suicide. 

• Roma Support Group’s Mental Health Project aims to improve the mental health and wellbeing of Roma community members. The project focuses on empowering community members to communicate more openly about mental health issues and suicide to reduce stigma and misinformation.
• Farming Community Network in Somerset are a voluntary organisation and charity, supporting farmers and families within the farming community. They run a confidential national helpline and e-helpline providing a listening service specifically for the farming community.

Starting a conversation about suicide:

• This resource from Leeds Beckett University provides guidance on how to start a conversation about suicide and what to do if someone says they are suicidal.
• It’s normal to feel anxious about starting a conversation and making small talk but it can help people who are struggling to open up. This Small Talk Saves Lives resource by Samaritans includes advice on the signs someone might need help, how to get started, what to do next and how to look after yourself.
• Talking Faith in Suicide Prevention by Faith Action aims to support faith-informed conversations about suicide prevention and postvention with members of the public. It is designed to support general prevention conversations.. It was developed in collaboration with representatives of six faith traditions, as well as front-line workers and people with lived experience, including NSPA Lived Experience Influencers.
• Talking about suicide does not increase the risk. It can save lives. This resource by PAPYRUS includes conversation starters if you are worried about someone.
• How to have a conversation about mental health at work guide from Charlie Waller Trust

Language for talking about suicide:

• This resource covers some of the language to avoid, alternatives to say instead and why this is important.

Talking about suicide online:

• Whether it’s on social media, forums, or even in a private chat with friends, the way we talk about suicide online can have an impact on ourselves and others. This online safety guidance from Samaritans shares top tips for talking about suicide safely online.

Supporting others: 

• Our Save a Life cards provide some tips on how to look after yourself and others.
• This resource from Mind explains how to support someone who feels suicidal, giving practical suggestions for what you can do and where you can go for support.
• In this series of resources, Frances Bromley shares the importance of active listening, how to be an active listener and tools to help someone struggling.

Reducing stigma in racialised communities:

• Black people in the UK are more likely to experience mental health problems yet less likely to get the right support. Better mental health for society cannot be achieved without better mental health for Black people. This is why the Black Mental Health and Wellbeing Alliance are launching the Black Mental Health Manifesto. This sets out a clear vision and practical steps towards a just society where Black people can thrive, and their mental health is supported in a way that places their identity at the centre.
• One of the core missions of Sehhat is to highlight the impact of suicide within the Punjabi and South Asian Communities. They have developed bilingual resources for communities to be able to approach conversations, learn about suicide, and give advice on how to prevent suicide.
  Sehhat and the Sikh Forgiveness project developed a study to understand how Punjabi communities can tackle the need for better support relating to suicide.

Talking about bereavement by suicide:

• Talking about suicide helps to reduce stigma and this short guide by Support After Suicide Partnership aims to help people feel comfortable to reach out and offer support to someone bereaved by suicide.

Reducing stigma in the workplace:

• This resource by som (supporting occupational health and wellbeing professionals),  provides evidence-informed guidance and recommendations for organisations to respond to the death by suicide of a colleague, or the unexpected death of a colleague from other causes. The guidance draws on high-quality sources from research and practice and was developed through consultation with experts from various fields. It aims to help organisations navigate the complexities and sensitivities involved in such tragic events, ensuring they provide the support required to maintain a healthy and compassionate workplace.
• This guide on how to have a conversation about mental health at work from Charlie Waller Trust aims to help employers start a conversation about mental health with their employees. There is also a guide on how to spot the signs and symptoms of mental health difficulties at work.
• Business in the Community worked with Department of Health and Social Care and Samaritans to create a suicide prevention and postvention toolkit for employers. They are each designed to help every organisation support the mental and physical health and wellbeing of its employees.

• Talking really does matter: Lay perspectives from older people on talking about suicide in later lifeThis study explores the barriers and opportunities for discussing suicidal thoughts among older adults. The findings highlight the importance of more informal discussions around these topics and how care professionals, practitioners, and providers might frame opportunities for dialogue with people who may want to access support.
• Barriers to help seeking in suicidal men: A systematic literature reviewThis paper explores how self and societal appraisals may impact help-seeking behaviours in men experiencing suicidal ideation.

• Samaritans’  Small Talk Saves Lives Campaign: This behaviour-change campaign encourages help-seeking. The campaign aims to give people the tools to intervene if they see someone they think may be struggling. The campaign includes a ‘How to start a conversation page‘ and other resources.
• Baton of Hope: Baton of Hope is about opening up a national conversation about suicide to help eradicate stigma. The first Baton of Hope took place in 2023 and was the UK’s largest suicide prevention initiative.

Webinar recording – Language Matters: Stigma and Suicide. 

Rosie Ellis, Executive Lead of the NSPA, provides an overview on what we know about the stigma of suicide and the impact it has on help-seeking. She also covers why the NSPA chose this topic for its autumn campaign, Language Matters, its aims and how you can get involved. Professor Zaffer Iqbal, Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Director at NAViGO, and Emma Williams, NSPA Lived Experience Influencer then shared their reflections on the stigma of suicide, and what we can do to tackle it.

Webinar recording – The impact of language on stigma surrounding suicide 

For this webinar, we were joined by David Breakspear, NSPA Lived Experience Influencer. David shared his reflections on the impact of language on stigma and ways that unhelpful language can be challenged.

We also heard from Dennis Baldwin, Project Manager of Reach Out; Start to End Suicide at Start Inspiring Minds, a Salford-based mental health charity and NSPA member. Dennis shared how Start Inspiring Minds are tackling stigma at a local level and what the key things to consider are when having a conversation about suicide.

Webinar recording and slides – Involving young people with lived experience in suicide prevention

We were joined by members of the Youth Advisory Group, Youth Involvement Officer, and Dr Maria Michail from the University of Birmingham’s Institute of Mental Health for a panel discussion. They explained how the Institute involve young Experts by Experience in the design, implementation, and translation of suicide prevention research.

The panel highlighted the opportunities and impact gained from true partnerships between researchers and Experts by Experience and how this approach was used to produce #MyGPguide.

#MyGPguide is an evidence-based resource, designed by young people, for young people with lived experience of self harm or suicidality. It is designed to prepare young people for their GP consultation about their mental health.

View the slides. You can view the recording below.