News item

If you can read between the lines, you can save lives. That’s the message Choose Life is sending out to people across Scotland to mark national Suicide Prevention Week (10–16 September) as its new public awareness campaign is launched.

Last year 772 people died by suicide, the equivalent of around two lives taken each day in Scotland. For each suicide, the impact on those left behind lasts a lifetime. The idea that suicide shouldn’t be talked about is a remaining taboo and doesn’t help those grieving or the many people who may be feeling suicidal right now.

Choose Life’s ‘Read between the lines’ campaign is tackling this stigma and helping to reduce further unnecessary deaths by raising awareness that if you’re worried about someone, asking directly about their feelings can help save lives.

The campaign acknowledges that signs of suicide can be ambiguous, but encourages people to be alert to the warning signs and take all signs of distress seriously, even if the person seems to be living a normal life. It also aims to assure people that asking a person about what’s troubling them can make a positive difference.

Alana Atkinson, Choose Life Programme Manager at NHS Health Scotland, said:

“You tend to know when someone close to you isn’t quite themselves. So if you notice any changes in their behaviour that worry you – even if the signs come and go – ask them about it.

“You’ll find that talking can help a person get clarity about what it is that’s troubling them, and often gives a sense of perspective. Starting a conversation is half the battle. You don’t need to have an answer to their problems – just be there for them, try to listen carefully without judging, and show that you care.”

Alana added: “If it feels right, ask if they are thinking about suicide. It won’t put the thought in their head if it wasn’t there before, but it can be a big relief for them to be able to say, ‘yes, I am’ and acknowledge they need help.”

The campaign targets men and women who are likely to be in greatest contact with people most at risk of suicide – men aged 30-59, since statistics show that around three quarters of suicides have been men in every year since 1990.

Thought-provoking adverts, which literally enable people to read between the lines, are appearing on buses and trains across Scotland, as well as in public toilets.

Michael Matheson, Minister for Public Health, said:

“This new campaign is a welcome and vital addition to the range of actions underway to help prevent suicide in Scotland. It is important that anyone who is concerned about a family member, a friend or a workmate should feel comfortable about voicing such concerns and allowing the person to feel they can discuss whatever is troubling them. I hope that the ‘Read between the lines’ campaign will inspire people to feel confident about providing initial support when it is needed.”