Elected Member Briefing - Suicide Prevention Campaign

About this Briefing Note

Report by: Susan Duncan, Suicide Prevention Coordinator, Perth and Kinross Health and Social Care Partnership

EMBN Number: 027-24

Date: 28 March 2024

Subject: Perth and Kinross Suicide Prevention Campaign, Shatter the Silence, focussing on men aged 16 years plus.  

Responsible Officer: Susan Duncan, Suicide Prevention Coordinator, Perth and Kinross Health and Social Care Partnership

Details

Purpose

This briefing gives Elected Members an overview of the plan for a suicide awareness campaign which will take place over a minimum of six months from March 2024 onwards and be iterative during that period as more partner agencies become involved. The campaign materials will be shared in different formats including social media channels, public transport graphics, traditional print, and posters.  

Briefing Information

National Records of Scotland publish an annual report to provide data regarding probable deaths by suicide for the preceding year. The latest report was published on 05 September 2023 providing the data for the year 2022.  

In 2022 there were 762 probable suicides in Scotland, an increase of 9 (1%)  

on the previous year. 

The rate of suicide mortality in males was 2.9 times as high as the rate for  

females. Rates have been consistently higher for males throughout time, ranging from 2.6 to 3.6 times as high since the series began in 1994.  

At council level, the rate was higher (statistically significant) than the Scottish average in Highland, Dundee City, East Ayrshire and Perth and Kinross. 

Probable suicides 2023 - National Records of Scotland (NRS)

The national suicide prevention strategy - Creating Hope Together www.gov.scot/publications/creating-hope-together-scotlands-suicide-prevention-strategy-2022-2032/ was published on 29 September 2022 and describes 4 Long Term Outcomes to deliver its Vision: 

Outcome 1: The environment we live in promotes conditions which protect against suicide risk - this includes our psychological, social, cultural, economic, and physical environment. 

Outcome 2: Our communities have a clear understanding of suicide, risk factors and its prevention - so that people and organisations are more able to respond in helpful and informed ways when they, or others, need support. 

Outcome 3: Everyone affected by suicide can access high quality, compassionate, appropriate and timely support - which promotes wellbeing and recovery. This applies to all children, young people and adults who experience suicidal thoughts and behaviour, anyone who cares for them, and anyone affected by suicide in other ways. 

Outcome 4: Our approach to suicide prevention is well planned and delivered, through close collaboration between national, local, and sectoral partners. Our work is designed with lived experience insight, practice, data, research, and intelligence. We improve our approach through regular monitoring, evaluation, and review. 

In response to both the National Strategy and our work locally to implement its vision, we have developed the Shatter the Silence campaign. The development for this has been consulted on widely and has involved people who have lived and living experience, local third sector organisations and the multiagency Suicide Prevention Steering Group.  

It is important that in any campaign there is a call to action. The Shatter the Silence campaign is aimed at tackling stigma around suicide. It is targeted at men but also aims to reflect a general message regarding hope that will be included in all local actions to link to the national strategy.  

Key messages and intentions of the campaign include: 

• Suicide prevention is everyone's business.  

• There are support agencies available locally and nationally. During the campaign both will be highlighted. There will be a focus on promoting the Tayside suicide awareness website that can also be downloaded as an app to mobile devices: It provides a range of information including details of local and national organisations and how to develop your own suicide safety plan. www.suicidehelp.co.uk  

• The campaign will raise awareness of our local suicide prevention training that is available to multi-agency staff and the public.  

• It can help to talk. We know it is not easy to seek support. We want to encourage early help seeking.  

• If you are worried about someone it is okay to ask about suicide and talking openly can help save lives. 

• The campaign aims to encourage everyone to become more suicide aware and show compassion.  

• We want to build suicide safer communities.  

For further information about suicide prevention actions in Perth and Kinross please email: SuicidePrevention@pkc.gov.uk