Suicide Prevention - the wrong approach?

Yesterday was World Mental Health Day. The theme of this year’s mental health day was ‘suicide prevention’.

I struggle with this concept. Suicide prevention? What about preventing people from becoming depressed in the first place?

Depression isn’t simply ‘feeling sad’, or having issues coping with a loss - ie a normal part of grieving. Depression often comes on with no discerning reason, to those who, on the outside. appear to ‘have it all’. It’s complex, complicated and confusing. However, aiming to just ‘prevent suicide’ leads us to fall way short of where we should be aiming - which is building resilient people who are living the best possible lives despite what life may throw at them. For this, we need a whole new revolution in mental health care.

This starts when we are young. Teaching young people resilience so they can bring this into adulthood. It also starts with providing safe places where people who are struggling can access free immediate mental health skills and support.

It also starts with approaching each of the areas that support mental health and well-being - which includes everything from Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (safety, security, not being in poverty) to the Mental Health Foundation’s Five Ways to Wellbeing (Connect, Be Active, Give, Keep Learning, Take Notice). We know that there are many things which impact our mental health: Nutrition, poverty, ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences), trauma, physical illness and endocrine disorders. Psychological aspects include low self-esteem, being unemployed, having no sense of purpose and job dissatisfaction. Our approach needs to cover all aspects of mental health care.

Suicide prevention is about preventing people from taking that last final act - mental health wellness (or well-being) focuses on ensuring people are very far from the cliff face of suicide. Let’s have mental wellness as the focus of our mental health - and something we pay attention to every day.