World Suicide Prevention Day Scotland

Every year, people around the world come together on the 10 September to raise awareness of suicide prevention, and how we can create a world where fewer people die by suicide. The theme of this year is ‘Talking Saves Lives’.

At any one time, around 1 in 25 people are contemplating suicide. On average, 2 people go on to take their own life every day in Scotland. These aren’t just statistics. It’s someone’s family, their friends, and their work colleagues.

At Health in Mind, we believe that having positive conversations about mental health is a key step in suicide prevention. These important conversations can help raise awareness, build understanding, and remind people that they are not alone.

If you are worried that someone is having suicidal thoughts then ask them, you could save a life. We know that talking to a loved one about suicide may feel daunting – the Art of Conversation booklet at the bottom of this page provides a helpful guide for how to have these conversations.

Our Midlothian Suicide Prevention Development worker, Simon Miller, has written a blog about World Suicide Prevention Day, which you can read below.

You can also read some poems from a member of our Writing to Recovery group about their experience below.
Content Warning: these poems may cause emotional triggers.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call 999 or call one of the support services that are listed here.