New hope for suicide prevention

Today, World Mental Health Day, marks the start of the Hope Project, an important new suicide prevention initiative for Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire.

The project will provide short-term emotional and practical support specifically for men aged between 35 and 64, who are the highest risk group.

And its aim is to reduce suicide by 10% by 2012. It is part of a national Government initiative which launches today, 10 October 2018 and is being led by a new minister for suicide prevention.

Hope project manager, Jez Spencer said: “Our pilot project showed that short-term support from a skilled worker who understands the practical and emotional problems of dealing with debt can really help. The new Hope Project widens the remit to seek out and support men who may not even think they need help but who are in real trouble.”

The Hope Project team are experienced support staff keen to make a difference and save lives. The project will work specifically with men who are in psychological distress or have recently self-harmed, but are not engaged with other mental health services. To find out more, or to talk to a member of the Hope team, please call 07855 015421 or email hope@second-step.co.uk

Stats and Facts

• Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire is one of eight regions in England allocated funding from a new £25 million national suicide prevention investment by the Department for Health and Social Care, Public Health England (PHE) and NHS England, which aims to reduce the national suicide rate by 10% in three years
• Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) annual summary on deaths by suicide in the UK show that since 2013, males aged 45 to 59 years have had the highest age-specific suicide rates, with 21.8 deaths per 100,000 population in 2017
• 70% of suicides in Bristol are men, according to Bristol’s Suicide Prevention Strategy, January 2018.