The pop-up information session at Clickimin. From left: Lynn Cumming and Mark Hughes from Mind Your Head, Jill Charleson and Laura Russell from NHS Shetland.
Organisations have marked suicide prevention awareness week with a series of pop-up events and blogs to share crucial support information.
Staff from Mind Your Head and NHS Shetland were at Clickimin yesterday (Monday) to host the first of several information sessions to promote suicide prevention and mental health services available in the isles.
Leaflets and contact cards were available from organisations including Suicide Prevention Scotland, Royal Scottish Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RSABI), Breathing Space, Papyrus, and Scottish Action for Mental Health.
Mark Hughes, wellness coordinator at Mind Your Head, said sessions like these are important to reduce stigma and promote healthy conversation.
“It’s a scary subject, but it’s worth talking bout because that’s the only way scary subjects become not so scary,” he told The Shetland Times.
Mind Your Head offers a variety of services in the isles, including support for adults and children from the age of 10, as well as groups like well bairns and well dads.
There was also information about Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (Asist), which is a two-day intensive course aimed at providing skills necessary for talking to and supporting someone who is suicidal.
The next public course is taking place in Islesburgh on the 21st and 22nd of October.
Asist sessions are free, with 24 first come first serve places.
These sessions are delivered alongside staff from NHS Shetland.
Jillian Charleson, health improvement practitioner at NHS Shetland, said the key messages at the pop-up events are to promote “having conversations about having conversations, and that a conversation can be the difference in saving somebody’s life.
“We know that folk feel anxious about it, that folk can often pick up that they’re worried about somebody but then don’t know how to do something about the worries.”
She said that Asist is one of the most worthwhile training courses available.
“This is one of the first training courses that I did when I started working for the NHS 17 years ago, and you never forget it.”
As well as the two-day Asist sessions, NHS Shetland are working on shorter programmes to fit folk’s time availability and details about online modules will be linked on their Healthy Shetland social media pages this week.
Further pop-up information events are planned for Mareel on Thursday from 11am to 1pm, as well as a drop in at the Recovery Hub in Lerwick and the Living Well Hub in Brae on Friday.
Health improvement practitioner Laura Russell said awareness weeks and information sessions help to reduce the stigma around mental health.
“That’s what all of this does – just speaking to people,” she added.
Mr Hughes said that over the years people have become more open to talk about suicide and mental health.
“Knowing how to introduce the subject is important because being open to talk doesn’t necessarily mean you will.
“You still need someone else that’s receptive.”
Further information can be found at the Mind Your Head website, or by calling 01595 745035.
The NHS’s Healthy Shetland website will be updated with blogs and resources throughout this week, as well as further information on year-round services.
The free RSABI helpline for people in agriculture can be reached at 0808 1234 555.
24 hour support services promoted by Suicide Prevention Scotland include:
Samaritans: 116 123
NHS24: 111
Text ‘SHOUT’ to 85258
Childline: 0800 1111
Hopeline247: 0800 068 4141.
