Calls for Welsh council to work with suicide prevention groups to be heard this week

Bruce Sinclair, Local democracy reporter

A call for a Welsh council to work with groups to help prevent suicide is to be heard later this week.

In a notice of motion to be heard at Ceredigion County Council’s full council meeting of January 22, Councillor Catrin M S Davies and Councillor Gareth Davies, calls on the council to “collaborate with other stakeholders, to act to prevent suicide, reducing stigma, and offering support.”

It asks the council notes that suicide “is the main cause of death for young people up to the age of 35 according to the charity Papyrus, because young people do not die from other causes very often,” adding that middle-aged men between the ages of 30-44 in Wales are most likely to kill themselves, with 76 per cent of the deaths by suicide men.

It asks the council to support that “the people of Wales have a right to live in communities that are free from fear and stigma that are associated with suicide and self-harm,” with “a right to be empowered and supported to access and offer help wherever it is needed.”

“We all have a role, all of us, as individuals and organisations, to support those affected by suicide. We believe that the council has a role to collaborate with other stakeholders, to act to prevent suicide, reducing stigma, and offering support. We believe that the council has a role to take specific steps to protect our young people, empowering them to look after themselves and others.

“We call on all members to support this motion. We wish to adopt the principles of the Welsh Government’s suicide and self-harm prevention strategy, and implement them. We wish to do everything we can to prevent suicide, to reduce stigma, to support our fellow men and women with their mental health, and to support those who are affected by suicide.

“We ask that fellow members do everything in their power to ensure that the council implements policies that support individuals, prevent suicide, empower the council’s structures, and offer opportunities in the schools to discuss suicide as an aspect of mental health discussion, in the context of personal, inter-related and social education, equipping our pupils to look after themselves and other people.

“This education should be delivered in a sensitive manner, by teachers who have the appropriate support, supervision and training to deliver this type of education.

“Suicide is preventable, and support is available through the Samaritans, Papyrus, 111 press 2, and others.”