Marking World Suicide Prevention Day

Image of female doctor sitting on the floor of a hospital corridor with her head in her hands looking upset

World Suicide Prevention Day is hosted on 10 September each year by the International Association for Suicide Prevention and provides the opportunity to raise awareness of suicide and suicide prevention.

Since 2011, more than 2,500 health care workers in the UK have lost their lives to suicide and as frontline NHS workers, looking after your own wellbeing is not always a priority, but during these difficult times it more important than ever to take care of yourself and reach out for help if you are struggling.

Leeanna Woodrow, Patient Safety Specialist and Quality Assurance and Improvement Lead, Northamptonshire ICB said: “Tragically thousands of people in the UK end their lives by suicide each year.

“There is no single reason why people die by suicide. People think of suicide for many different reasons. Sociological, economical, psychological, and genetic factors can contribute to a person being at greater risk of suicide.

“During this period, we are raising awareness of the risk factors of suicide and urging anyone who is experiencing suicidal thoughts or struggling with their mental health not to suffer alone. Please reach out to someone or access one of the support services available to NHS colleagues.”

What are risk factors?
Men are at greater risk of suicide than women. While suicide rates vary across the UK, men have accounted for more deaths by suicide than women in each nation. Suicide rates for men are at their highest level since 1999.

Trans and non-binary people are also at more risk due to the stigma, prejudice and discrimination they can face. According to the LGBTQIA+ charity Stonewall, almost half of trans people, 46%, have thought about taking their life in the last year.

A risk factor might include:

• difficult life events, such as a traumatic childhood or experiencing physical or emotional abuse,
• something upsetting or life changing such as a relationship ending or a loved one dying,
• misusing drugs or alcohol,
• living alone or having little social contact with other people,
• having a mental health condition such as depression
• self-harming,
• having a physical health condition, especially if this causes chronic pain or serious disability,
• problems with work or money,
• being a young person, or
• being a middle-aged man

Support through Doctors in Distress
Doctors in Distress is a charity that provides a range of support for any healthcare workers who feels like they need it. They are not a crisis service but can provide support for any healthcare worker who is feeling burned out, overwhelmed, stressed, or scared about the present or future.

Northamptonshire Integrated Care Board will be working with Doctors in Distress in the upcoming year to remember the healthcare workers we have tragically lost to suicide in the county, and promote the support work the charity undertakes.

Please visit the Doctors in Distress website for more information about the range of support services available which includes webinars, support groups and creative workshops.