Every week, 125 people die by suicide in the UK, and one in four of us will experience a mental health problem in any given year. Yet, many of us don’t know where to turn when we need help or a listening ear.
VASL is becoming a registered Mental Health Friendly Place, meaning we are a public-facing organisation equipped with training, resources, and support to navigate conversations around mental health and wellbeing confidently. Our staff regularly support individuals struggling with their mental health, and we can play a vital role in starting conversations and encouraging people to open up. The Mental Health Friendly Places programme builds on these crucial conversations.
Last month, our staff attended a Mental Health Aware course led by Mental Health First Aid England instructor Madeleine McNeil. The course aimed to enhance our knowledge and confidence in mental health awareness. It focused on:
Understanding what mental health is
Recognising and challenging stigma
Gaining basic knowledge of common mental health issues
Learning tools to care for our own mental wellbeing
Building confidence to support someone in distress
Some staff members are taking this further by training to become Mental Health First Aiders. This will equip them with the skills to identify signs of poor mental health, start conversations with confidence, and direct individuals to appropriate support.
If we each start just one conversation about mental health, together we can save lives.
We had an interesting discussion around the stigma that is associated with mental health as not everyone understands mental health and hold misconceptions about what a diagnosis means. We all have mental health, but some people have mental ill health, just like some of us have physical ill health. People can often, inadvertently, use language that can be dismissive and hurtful. In particular it was highlighted that the term “committed” suicide is still sometimes used. This is an insensitive and outdated phrase that perpetuates stigma as it suggests wrongdoing, such as “committing fraud”. The term harks back to before the Suicide Act 1961 when suicide was decriminalised in the UK. Instead, it is better to say, “died by suicide”, “took their own life” or “lost their life to suicide”. Using the correct language can have a profound effect on families and can support suicide prevention because by avoiding language that creates blame, we create a more supportive environment for those struggling with suicidal thoughts. Remember if you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, please reach out for help, you are not alone. If you require mental health support you can call NHS 111 (option 2) or Samaritans 116123, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Alternatively text SHOUT to 85258.
If you work or volunteer in an organisation that engages with the public and are interested in becoming a Mental Health Friendly Place, please email mhfp@leics.gov.uk to learn more about the programme and training opportunities.
This Blog was originally printed by the Harborough Mail and written by Liz, who manages our Community Wellbeing Harborough project.
Other blogs can be found in our news pages.
