Leadership group launches suicide prevention toolkit

A toolkit to help local authorities in Scotland develop an action plan to prevent suicide has been launched by the National Suicide Prevention Leadership Group (NSPLG).

This is the first time universal information and guidance, including examples of ‘best practice’ and links to online resources, have been provided to all 32 local authorities to help them develop effective action plans for suicide prevention in their area.

The guide will ensure the plans align with the national strategy, make use of experiential and research evidence, meet needs informed by what works for whom in what circumstances and can be evaluated to enable the NSPLG to build the evidence for what is successful.

In 2019, 833 people died by suicide in Scotland, more than two people every day. Each suicide is believed to affect at least 135 people and the economic cost for each suicide is around £1.67 million.

The guidance contains resources to support areas to identify the needs of their community and ensure there is effective oversight of work at senior levels. It also provides resources which will help to tackle suicide in groups of high risk, such as men who are three times more likely to die by suicide than women, those living in deprived communities, those who have self-harmed or attempted suicide and those who have mental illness.

Rose Fitzpatrick, chairwoman of NSPLG, said: ‘Our vision is of a Scotland where suicide is preventable, where help and support is available to anyone who is contemplating suicide and to those who have lost a loved one to suicide.

‘No death by suicide should ever be considered inevitable and this means we all have a part to play.

‘Suicide prevention is everyone’s business and the launch of this guidance will help support communities who have such an important role in keeping people safe from suicide.’

Every Life Matters: Scotland’s Suicide Prevention Action Plan was published in 2018.

Key aims include making sure people at risk of suicide or those who have been bereaved by suicide don’t feel alone, that they can ask for help and have access to skilled, co-ordinated support.