World Suicide Prevention Day 2024

Suicide is a worldwide public health concern affecting individuals and communities and sadly each year 700,000 people die by suicide. Here in Scotland last year, there was 792 deaths, all devastating for their families and friends, and colleagues and the communities they lived in. Each life lost to suicide is an enormous tragedy and has long-lasting consequences.

The loss of a loved one brings about intense grief but when the death is by suicide the emotions can differ with shock and questioning especially acute. Additional interest in the cause of death can also bring additional stress which can worsen and lengthen the grieving process for individuals and families and expose them to increased risk of suicidal thoughts themselves.

The focus of the World Suicide Prevention Day 2024 campaign is ‘Changing the Narrative on Suicide’ and Suicide Prevention Scotland has made a rallying call to ‘Start the Conversation’ with the aim to shift from a culture of silence and stigma, to one of openness, understanding and support.

Every conversation no matter how small, contributes to a supportive and understanding society. By initiating these with family, friends, colleagues and strangers we can break down barriers and create better cultures of support. Having conversations is a huge part of the support offered by Cruse Scotland and we do this in a way that gives time, space and compassion to each individual we support.

This practice is captured too within the Scotland Suicide Prevention Strategy, Creating Hope Together 2022-2032. This strategy has four key outcomes including the desire to achieve that ‘everyone affected by suicide can access high quality, compassionate, appropriate and timely support which promotes wellbeing and recovery.'

Cruse Scotland is currently commissioned by Perth and Kinross council to improve access to supports for those bereaved by suicide, a training strategy to provide specific suicide bereavement support training, and improved systems to engage those with Lived Experience of suicide bereavement and suicidal behaviours.

Ann Hunter (Suicide Bereavement Project Co-ordinator)

August 2024

If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, contact Samaritans on 116 123. Samaritans support services can be reached 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts related to a bereavement, please phone our Free Bereavement Helpline on 0808 802 6161.

Has your workplace recently experienced a bereavement by suicide? Cruse Scotland is funded by the Scottish government to provide you and your colleagues with free bereavement support. If this is something your team could benefit from, please contact us at info@crusescotland.org.uk or by telephone 01738 444 178 and we will discuss with you the options to meet the needs of your team.