Beautiful. It’s idyllic. But I want to find out blighted by tragedy
who work at helplines in that area and trying to figure out why the suicide rates are higher in that part of the world.
“There’s no set answer to that because everybody has their own experiences but communication is something that came up again and again. I’m generalising but, on the whole, men find it harder to communicate their emotions than women do.
“A lot of men kind of want to bury it because they feel it might be showing weakness or there is a stigma attached to it so they don’t feel they can express themselves and terrible things can happen.”
According to statistics provided by charity help group Samaritans, 680 people took their own life in Scotland in 2017.
The death rate among young men increased for r the third consecutive year. r.
The suicide rate among g men rose by one per cent nt compared to a decrease of 24 per cent among women. en.
There was an overalal l decrease of six per cent.
Mikeysline was set up after fter four young men died menn in the Inverness area.
The charity was named after Michael Williamson, whoo was found dead in October 2015, hours afafter returning from a night oout to remember Martin Shaw, who had died earlier ini the city. Both men were 23 and their deaths came two monthmonths before 21-year-old Jordan Wallace was found dead at his Inverness homehome. He knew Michael – knowknown as Mikey – and MarMartin and was a friend of RRyan Watt, a boxer whwho was found dead at his Inverness- shire hhomeo ju s t a f t e r Christmas 22015. The charitycharit runs a helpline and textline for ppeople in the area in need of help with mental health issues. Ruth Webster, strategic manager of Mikeysline, said: “We were along at the showing of Karen’s movie at the film festival and some of it is difficult to watch.
“It looks at how people are affected by the aftermath of someone’s death and, sadly, it is hard-hitting. That’s the reality.
“Karen’s a local girl and cares about what happens here. She handled the subject sensitively.
“Having someone of her profile speak about suicide definitely brings it into a wide public awareness.
“She came along to the charity to meet some of the volunteers when she was last in Inverness and is very supportive of the work we do.”