Sir Gavin Williamson recently attended a parliamentary session to discuss suicide prevention and to talk about what can be done within parliament for the national effort to reduce suicide and improve mental health services.
The session focussed on how parliamentarians can best raise the sensitive issue of suicide, and how to recognise signs of vulnerability and offer support. Sir Gavin was particularly moved to attend due its prevalence for those of Staffordshire, where there are nearly 95 suicides per year. This is higher than the national average, therefore encouraging help-seeking behaviour in those experiencing suicidal thoughts is something Sir Gavin is keen to campaign on. Sir Gavin learnt about how casework dealing with suicide should be approached in a way that doesn’t exacerbate the individual’s suicidal intentions.
Sir Gavin said: “I’d like to thank Samaritans for their informative event on how to discuss the issue of suicide in parliament in a sensitive manner, so that I can approach the issue whilst staying mindful of those who might be triggered by language often used when talking about suicide. Learning about the power of certain types of media in causing suicide contagion has made me more wary of the language used in these sorts of discussions, and how it is important to think about how we raise these issues when raising awareness and encouraging change.”