Support is there for men in despair

A county-wide initiative to combat the growing number of suicides among men in Kent has been launched. Joshua Coupe reports

Four times more men than women take their own lives in Kent, shocking figures reveal.

The worrying numbers make suicide the biggest killer of men under 45 in the county, sparking the launch of a social marketing campaign called Release the Pressure.

It aims to combat the rise in male suicides across Kent, which accounted for 128 of the 163 recorded in 2014.

As well as being above the national average, the figures are particularly worrying as a large percentage of those who took their own life were not known to secondary mental health services.

Public health bosses warn that men are less likely to ask for help from friends and fam- ily and a lack of contact with mental health services makes them a difficult group to reach.

Andrew Scott-clark, KCC’S director of public health, said: “Sometimes life can be really tough.

“A bereavement or relationship ending, or increasing debt can all cause unbearable pressure in people.

“We know that the majority f people who take their own lives aren’t known to mental health services so we are encouraging anyone who’s feeling the pressure to talk to someone.”

The campaign also asks friends and family members to look out for signs of depression in men they know.

Graham Gibbens, cabinet member for adult social care and public health, said: “Suicide is a terrible tragedy for the person’s family and the whole community.

“Unfortunately, it still accounts for 1% of all deaths in the county every year and our campaign hopes to get men talking about the problems they are facing rather than suffering in silence.”

The campaign includes a special programme on this paper’s radio station, kmfm, in April.

If you know someone who’s feeling the pressure, get them to call 0800 107 0160 or visit www.releasethepressure. uk. Support is free and confidential, provided by an independent charity and funded by Kent County Council.