World Mental Health Day | Gipping Occupational Health

10th October 2019

This year the chosen theme of World Mental Health Day is Suicide Prevention.

Suicide can be a difficult topic to think and talk about and one that conjures up different emotions for lots of people, but it is important for more openness, to help break down the stigmas and encourage people to seek help and support sooner rather than later.

The World Health Organisation has released some key facts, such as:

Close to 800,00 people die due to suicide every year globally
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among 15-29 year old’s globally

In the UK suicide is a leading cause of preventable deaths, according to the Office of National Statistics there were 6,507 suicides in 2018.

What can be done in the workplace?

Don’t wait for a tragedy before you take action. The loss of someone through suicide is so impactful and people will often ask themselves “Could I / we have done something different or more?”.

Raising awareness at all levels is so important, a key starting point is providing training to Managers to help them to feel more comfortable and confident to be able to pick up on early warning signs and know how to provide support.

In addition, providing opportunities to all employees to learn about mental health is also important, to help them understand more and learn how to look after their own mental health.

Getting involved in campaigns such as World Mental Health Day can help to demonstrate your commitment to raise awareness, so do get involved. Here are some links to different organisations that have useful resources that can be accessed.