Protect Life Suicide Prevention Strategy

In a statement to the Northern Ireland Assembly announcing the publication of the refreshed strategy which the Executive endorsed and approved on 31 May 2012, the Minister said: “The strategy has been updated and extended to the end of the 2013/14 financial year to maintain momentum in addressing suicide prevention, and to develop further actions based on our learning from implementing Protect Life to date.

“Whilst maintaining the original strategy’s long term goal of reducing suicide rates in Northern Ireland, the refreshed Protect Life sets a new aim to reduce the differential in the suicide rate between deprived and non-deprived areas, particularly for males in the 15 to 45 age group. I believe that reducing this differential has the best potential to save lives.”

The Minister continued: “In Northern Ireland there are some 300 people a year dying by suicide. This is a huge personal tragedy for all those families who have lost loved ones to suicide and an unacceptable figure for our society as a whole.

“Suicide presents a complex and deeply concerning challenge for all sections of our society. Unfortunately, in the current economic and employment climate it is an issue that is not going to go away of its own accord.

“It is widely accepted that suicide is a societal issue and that no single government department can tackle this issue on its own. Enhanced cross-departmental working is vital. I have met with other Ministers regularly over the past year to explore how other departments can play a greater role in suicide prevention.

“I have been struck by my colleague’s willingness to be involved. There is definitely now a greater impetus for a cross-government and cross-agency approach to suicide prevention.”

An enhanced cross-departmental approach is reflected in the revised strategy and contains a number of new actions falling to departments other than health. These include: involving sporting organisations in delivering positive mental health and wellbeing messages; identifying specific arts interventions that improve mental health; and providing community-based ‘Health Checks’ in rural areas.”

The Minister concluded: “Tackling suicide in our society remains a priority for my Department and I am fully committed to continually seeking ways of reducing this tragic loss of life.

The Minister’s full statement to the Assembly is available to view at http://www.dhsspsni.gov.uk/rpls.htm