Suicide bereavement support service to be trialled in Scotland
The pilot will run in Ayrshire, Arran and in the Highlands
A bereavement support service for families who have lost a loved one to suicide is being trialled in Scotland.
Scotland’s National Suicide Prevention Leadership Group (NSPLG) have launched the pilot, which will run across areas served by NHS Ayrshire and Arran and NHS Highland.
The Scottish Government are providing funding of £510,000 for the service which will provide practical and emotional support to families affected by suicide for up to two years.
The service is also intended to help reduce suicide, as evidence shows up to 10% of people bereaved by suicide may go on to attempt to take their own lives.
Two of Scotland’s leading mental health charities, Penumbra and Support in Mind Scotland, are working in partnership to help deliver support.
The new service will operate seven days a week. Initial contact with bereaved families will be made within 24 hours of a referral and specially trained bereavement support workers will provide customised support relevant to each family’s circumstances.
Highly trained staff will recognise potential risks or wider safeguarding issues, including signs and symptoms of suicidal ideation and will also be able to work collaboratively across other local services.
Service offers "vital lifeline" for families
Seonaid Stallan lost her son and sister in law to suicide within weeks of each other.
She has worked on the scoping and design of the new pilot service.
"Five years ago, I lost my 18-year-old son, Dylan to suicide. It is impossible to describe the devastation, grief and confusion that we felt as a family.
"There was no support offered to families in our position and we relied on each other and close friends to try and navigate the complex practical arrangements as well as our own grief.
"Just three weeks later, my sister in-law Vanessa, took her own life. No one had ever asked us how we were coping.
"This service offers a vital lifeline for families bereaved by suicide and may even save lives.”
Mental health charity, Penumbra, manage the service in Ayrshire and Arran.
Their area manager Issy Murray said working alongside people affected by suicide has been "crucial" in creating the service.
She said: "Each person's experience of being bereaved by suicide will be different.
"Our person led approach will mean we're able to tailor support for each person and provide a unique and compassionate space for people."
Highland Area Manager for Support in Mind Scotland, Dr Bruce Armstrong explained why the service is needed in the north of Scotland.
He said: "First of all, we're seeing the same worrying trends and suicide statistics in the Highlands as we're seeing elsewhere in Scotland.
"In particular, increasing rates of suicide among young people and young men.
"Secondly, the Highlands unfortunately has the highest rate per population of any area in Scotland.
"We hope this service will provide some assurance and confidence that they are not alone and there is comprehensive type of support that they can access very quickly."