An ambitious new drive to create a more compassionate approach to
understanding the causes of and responding to suicide and
self-harm will help to save lives.
The Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing will today launch Wales' new
10-year strategy, which focuses on tackling the issues which lead
people to suicidal thoughts and improving support for people
experiencing self-harm.
It will draw directly on people's lived experience and target
stigma around suicide and self-harm to create a culture where
people are able to seek support without fear or judgement.
The Welsh Government is also investing more than £2m in the
National Centre for Suicide Prevention and Self-harm at Swansea
University through Health and Care Research Wales, marking a
significant advance in understanding these complex issues.
The new Suicide Prevention and Self-Harm Strategy sets
out six main aims:
- Listening and learning – developing a robust evidence base
and hearing from people with lived experience
- Preventing – addressing risk factors
- Empowering – removing stigma, helping everyone to talk and
listen to each other about suicide and self-harm and to help find
support when needed
- Supporting – improving services for people with self-harm and
suicidal thoughts
- Equipping – making sure services which support people at
higher risk across Wales identify people in need and work
together to provide support
- Responding – providing timely, compassionate and
person-centred support to those affected following suspected
suicides
The strategy recognises that suicide and self-harm can affect
anyone at any age. However, the groups with the highest
prevalence rates are different for suicide than they are for
self-harm.
Suicide is most prevalent among middle-aged men (aged 30 to 55),
while self-harm is more common among young women (aged 15 to 19).
This distinction helps inform tailored approaches within the
strategy.
The strategy also emphasises that self-harm is a significant risk
factor for suicide. It urges everyone to take all incidents of
self-harm seriously and treat the person in distress with
kindness and compassion.
Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing said:
"This ambitious strategy focuses on building understanding,
prevention, and compassionate support for everyone affected by
suicide and self-harm.
"By working across government departments and with our partners,
we're tackling the root causes while ensuring immediate help is
available to those who need it.
“It's through supporting and working with third sector
organisations like the Samaritans that we will achieve the
ambitions set out in our Suicide Prevention and Self-Harm
Strategy.”
Joshua, who has received support from the Samaritans
after having suicidal thoughts, said: “I see a
generational issue where older men don't speak about their mental
health because they grew up in a time when it wasn't discussed.
“Nowadays, people are much more aware and open about mental
health, which is very positive. However, there is still a
demographic of boys and men my age who feel it's too wimpy or
embarrassing to speak about it. I've noticed that even though the
conversation is improving, this issue persists.”
The new strategy will build on progress made in developing new
services and support in Wales.
Last year, the Welsh Government launched a national advice service
aimed at supporting all those affected by suicide, and new guidance for agencies
and organisations working with those affected by bereavement.
Key service improvements to date include single points of contact
for child and adolescent mental health services and the national
rollout of the 111 press 2 phone service for urgent mental health
support.
Information from The Real Time Suspected Suicide Surveillance
(RTSSS), which collects data directly from police forces, will be
used alongside a lived experience framework drawing the
experiences from those who have been directly affected to help
shape policies and support services.
The National Centre for Suicide Prevention and Self-harm has been
appointed as an advisory body to the Welsh Government.
A National Suicide and Self-harm team has also been established
within the NHS Executive to drive change across Wales.
