North Yorkshire police officers open up about mental health battles
They are hoping to break the stigma about asking for help
A group of North Yorkshire police officers are sharing their personal experiences with suicide - to help break the stigma about asking for help.
Between 2011 and 2021, 210 police officers died by suicide in England and Wales. That’s an average of 19 officers dying by suicide every year.
In England, there were 155 male officers and 26 female officers of the rank of sergeant and below, and 15 senior male officers who died by suicide in that period. In Wales, 13 male and two female officers ranked sergeant and below, and one senior male police officer died by suicide.
Helen Scholefield is the secretary of North Yorkshire Police Federation and also the branch’s mental health and welfare lead:
“In North Yorkshire, in the past five or six years, we’ve lost a number of officers, particularly male officers, to suicide, and I wanted to try to do something about it. It’s somewhere I have been myself, and it’s something I feel very strongly about.
“There is still a stigma around mental health, particularly in policing. We think that because we are police officers, we are strong people who go and rescue someone else, that we don’t need help, that we get our chin up, and that we crack on with our jobs.
“But that’s not necessarily the case. The truth is, mental health issues can strike anyone - even us, as police officers.”
“I’m incredibly proud of the team for opening up so candidly. It’s by no means an easy thing for us to do, but one of the ways we are going to reduce the number of suicides is by talking about it.
“The key to reducing the numbers of suicides is by creating safe environments and by saying it is okay to talk.”
Among those featured is Sergeant Elaine Malcolm, a Federation member who opens up about losing her father to suicide when she was just 12 years old.
Now, Elaine leads the Darlington group of Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide (SOBS), a national charity offering support to those grieving such a loss.
Reflecting on her father's death, Elaine said: “I often think about what things would have been like now if my dad was still alive, and what would be different if someone had asked if he was okay and checked on him.
She ends by urging everyone to take action: “Ask people if they’re okay. Ask your friends, ask your family, ask them twice, ask them four times if it’s going to prevent them from being in the same boat as my family.”
The film finishes with Federation representative, Firearms Sergeant Nev Chambers telling his personal story of how his life was ‘spiralling out of control’ before a life-changing incident while on a walk.
“One particular day I had gone for a walk,” he said. “Sat on a bench, an old lady was sat at the side of me talking to me and her dog jumped on my knee.
“It started licking my face and for some reason, I just burst into tears. It was like someone had just pulled a plug on all my emotions and I couldn’t stop crying.
“Looking back, had it not been for that dog licking my face, as stupid as that sounds, and that lady sitting there talking to me, I think I wouldn’t be here now. In fact I know I wouldn’t be here now.”
Where to get help
If you, or someone you know is suffering with their mental health, or experiencing suicidal thoughts, you can speak to your GP. If someone's life is in danger - call 999 immediately.
You can also find help and advice from these services:
Hub of Hope - https://hubofhope.co.uk
Samaritans – Call 116123 - https://www.samaritans.org
Mind - 0300 123 3393 - https://www.mind.org.uk