SPOTLIGHTING OF ISSUE WELCOMEDD

The Kentish Gazette’s End the Stigma suicide awareness campaign has been welcomed by a health boss whose organisation has been tasked with building a new service for patients in the future.

Chief executive of the Kent and Medway Sustainability and Transformation Partnership, Glenn Douglas, says he was “intensely moved” after reading the stories of heartbreak and loss in last week’s edition.

“Four mothers, each mourning the death by suicide of a much-loved son – it is every parent’s nightmare,” he said.

“My heart goes out to everyone who has lost someone to suicide, or who may currently be grappling with the sense that the world would be a better place without them.

“I would like to applaud your campaign to raise awareness of suicide and end the stigma.

“It is such an important issue and one where openness is so badly needed.”

Kent and Medway is part of a first wave of national suicide prevention funding which granted the organisation £667,000 this year.

It is being used to extend Kent County Council’s Release the Pressure campaign so more

can be up to three times a day, but depends on a person’s needs.

“We might look at whether it’s better for them to be in hospital,” she adds.

But she believes most people prefer to stay at home, where they can be close to family and friends, adding: “It’s a better environment in which to recover.

“There has been investment in suicide prevention by NHS England and there’s a county-wide suicide prevention strategy involving KMPT, the police and transport agencies.

“We have suicide awareness and prevention training, there’s the Release the Pressure campaign.

“We are following up patients who have been discharged to make sure we are offering as much support as we possibly can at the riskiest time.”

Professor Kinane says men may be at more risk of taking their own lives, but there are more attempted suicides and self- harm incidents among women historically. “Reducing the stigma and talking about mental ill health and disorder is a very important part of preventing suicide,” she says. “We have had campaigns over the years, and I think the media, like the Kentish Gazette’s campaign, has a very important part to play.”

We are offering as much support as we possibly can at the riskiest time