[Right click to download image. Alt text: Londoners showing their support for the #ZeroSuicideLDN campaign.]
Suicide is the leading cause of death in people aged 15–29, and the biggest killer of men under 49 in the UK. In London, the sad truth is suicide is the cause of death of around 10 Londoners every week.
Launched in September 2019, the citywide #ZeroSuicideLDN campaign has seen more than 350,000 people across the capital access free, online suicide prevention training.
Developed by the Zero Suicide Alliance, the free, online training takes around 20 minutes to complete and is designed to show how to have a direct and honest conversation about suicide and mental health with friends and family. The training also helps to break the stigma of talking about mental health, suicidal thoughts and bereavement.
Marking World Suicide Prevention Day 2023, campaign organisers are highlighting how ‘it is now more important than ever’ to encourage many more Londoners to play their part in looking out for other Londoners.
Debt is a significant risk factor of suicide and many Londoners continue to face a challenging and uncertain time due to increased cost-of-living pressures, which are being felt unevenly across London. Financial concerns are not always commonly discussed. People may feel a sense of shame about their situation or do not typically discuss personal finance with others.
More than one in three UK adults (36 per cent) surveyed by the charity Mind said they never make space in their day or the time to speak about their mental health. Yet nearly 8 in 10 who responded (78 per cent) said that their mental health has been affected by cost-of-living crisis – this was worse for those with existing mental health problems (94 per cent).
“World Suicide Prevention Day is an opportunity to remember that it has never been more important for each of us to think and talk more about mental health and wellbeing.
Please take the free 20-minute online training and then tell your friends, colleagues, and family about it too. Together, by encouraging even more Londoners to take the Zero Suicide Alliance’s free online training, we can support people to talk openly about suicide and mental health.”
Dr Jacqui Dyer MBE, mental health equalities advisor for NHS England and co-lead of Thrive LDN, said: “We know that living and working in London can be stressful, and right now for some it may be overwhelming. That is why we want to encourage as many people as possible to take free, online training to know what to do if a loved one, colleague or stranger is in crisis.
“By doing so, we are working towards a city that is stigma free, where people can have a more direct and honest conversation about suicide with fellow Londoners in a safe and sensitive way. Especially considering the challenges so many Londoners have faced due to the pandemic and more recently increased cost-of-living pressures.”
To find out more about these resources and the suicide prevention training, visit www.thriveldn.co.uk/zerosuicideldn.
World Suicide Prevention Day is an opportunity to remember that it has never been more important for each of us to think and talk more about mental health and wellbeing. For full details visit: www.thriveldn.co.uk/zerosuicideldn.