Small talk can break up suicidal thoughts, says Samaritans volunteer in Luton
It's as a study from the suicide prevention charity revealed half of Britons don't engage in small talk
A suicide prevention charity revealed nearly half (49%) of us actively avoid engaging with a person we don’t know due to the fear of having to make ‘small talk’.
Samaritans further found more than a fifth of the British population feel too worried about saying the wrong thing (22%), while a third claim not to know what to say to initiate a conversation with a stranger (34%).
The UK's leading suicide prevention charity however says small talk can save lives, as it can break up a person's thoughts.
"Going and having a chat with them and just engaging with them may make that individual realise that talking helps..."
Luton Samaritans branch Director and Volunteer, Larry Redmond, said: "It's to emphasise the importance of that small talk that, at the right time, might just break someone's suicidal thoughts."
"People have distress in their lives for many reasons, it's impossible to say what's going to cause an individual to start thinking about suicide or self-harm."
"Going and having a chat with them and just engaging with them may make that individual realise that talking helps, so it's that engaging with someone, perhaps breaking their thought pattern, being willing to be there as another individual."
"...you can never quite know why someone is at that place, but often a person just coming and asking you a simple question and engaging with you can break that thought"
Volunteers at the branch give up their time to support individuals in times of need, and volunteers are available on the phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The idea with the Small Talk campaign is to encourage people to reach out to those who may appear to be having a difficult time.
"You have to remember suicide is incredibly complex, and you can never quite know why someone is at that place, but often a person just coming and asking you a simple question and engaging with you can break that thought", added Mr Redmond.
The charity's campaign encourages people to start a simple conversation if they think someone might need help.
You can find out more on the Samaritans website.
Support from the Samaritans, if you are struggling can be found here.