Hansard

It is customary in most debates to begin by welcoming the issue that has been brought to the chamber for discussion. However, for far too long people have shied away from discussing suicide. It has been seen as something not to be talked about because of a sense of awkwardness or difficulty in accepting how an individual’s life has ended.

It is also probably right to say that the situation was even starker in previous years, when families in particular felt acute embarrassment, indeed shame, if a family member took their own life. No support networks, such as that of the excellent Cruse Bereavement Care Scotland, were in place to help families to cope with their loss, and the stigma of suicide was prevalent in society. Even a survivor of suicide—someone whose attempt had failed—was not given the necessary help that is available today.

In July 1958, Lionel Henry Churchill from Cheltenham was found in bed with a bullet wound in his forehead, having tried to take his life following the death from natural causes of his beloved wife. He lived, but instead of the medical treatment and care that he needed, he was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment. It is remarkable to consider that, until just over 50 years ago, suicide, or “self-murder” as it was called, was a criminal act in Britain.

Thankfully, we have moved on from those times but we still have a long way to go. That is why I very much welcome the Scottish Government’s suicide prevention strategy. As we have heard, the strategy was developed after many discussions with a large number of stakeholders. It was launched last month and puts in place measures for the next three years, focusing on five areas of importance.

I return to my opening remarks and stress the value of talking about suicide, not only to deal with the after-effects of the death of a loved one but as a first step to stop someone seeing suicide as the only option. I am encouraged to see that, in a prominent suicide spot in the centre of my city, Aberdeen, a phone number for the Samaritans is available so that anyone contemplating the act can speak to someone about their intention before it is too late.

The theme of discussion is at the core of the strategy and I believe that it is central to breaking the taboo of suicide. By discussing suicide in a responsible manner, we can save lives. I pay tribute to NHS Scotland and its choose life action plan for developing the “Suicide. Don’t hide it. Talk about it” campaign some years ago. The campaign directed people to listening charities such as the Samaritans, and to breathing space, which is now in its 10th year as a national phoneline service. Next week marks breathing space day 2014, whose message is “Stay connected”. I was interested to learn that the campaign is aimed not only at those who are vulnerable or at risk of suicide but at everyone, by asking us to keep in touch with friends or family by picking up the phone or, for those more adept at it, sending a text message. I encourage everyone to take that advice by taking time out on 1 February to talk to a loved one.

The strategy highlights the benefit of communication through social media and the wider internet in promoting the key message of suicide prevention. However, it also refers to the possible negative impact of such media, especially on those who are most susceptible to and likely to have suicidal tendencies. In that respect, I am sure that I speak for many who have concerns about web-based chat rooms and webcams, Facebook, Twitter and all the other online outlets that are available, particularly to teenagers and young adults, who use them the most.

The relatively new problem of cyberbullying can have tragic and devastating consequences. Figures obtained under freedom of information legislation by my colleague Ruth Davidson just before Christmas showed that in the past three years more than 500 pupils throughout Scotland had been victims of cyberbullying; the actual figure may be higher. Anonymous comments, threats, lies and hurtful insults online can lead to low self-esteem and, very sadly, in extreme cases, to suicide. We will all be aware of the tragic case last summer of the Fife teenager who took his own life after internet bullying and blackmail. I wonder what measures could be put in place to ensure that a terrible event like that does not happen again. Although I accept that the strategy cannot cover all areas, I ask the minister whether he can provide more detail about how he thinks the strategy’s preventative approach to suicide fits in with tackling the specific problem of cyberbullying.

Elsewhere in the strategy document, theme D looks at how we can develop an evidence base to give the NHS and all the other agencies a better understanding of why certain people are inclined towards suicide. I very much welcome that approach, as preventing and thereby reducing incidents of suicide requires on-going analysis, research and the evaluation of information from ScotSID and the national confidential inquiry into suicide and homicide. I particularly welcome the Government’s decision to examine the effectiveness of treatment for patients who experience mental distress and to investigate further the effects of drug and alcohol abuse as potential precursors of susceptibility to suicide.

The document draws attention to the fact that in Scotland almost three quarters of suicides were men, of whom 48 per cent were in the age range 35 to 54. For theme D to succeed, analysis needs to be undertaken that identifies other areas that have a causal link to suicide in addition to depression and mental ill health issues as factors. Financial or job worries, relationship breakdown, stress, bereavement and so on can all contribute to suicidal feelings in men in that age range. I would like to see more focused scrutiny of specific groups in which there is a preponderance of suicide.

To give just one example, the minister will be aware that in the past 30 years there has been a higher than average rate of suicide in male farmers and farm workers in Scotland, with 86 deaths between 1981 and 1999, in comparison with 60 in fishing and its associated industries over the same period. Various factors can be cited for those statistics, such as changing farming practices, economic difficulties and geographical isolation. Farmers’ specific needs and, often, their remoteness from support networks and medical treatment hinder early diagnosis of depression and mental illness. Measures to prevent suicide must be examined.

In his introduction to the strategy document, the minister rightly pays tribute to all those who have worked in suicide prevention, which has resulted in a downward trend in suicides over the past 10 years in Scotland. However, he ends on a note of caution—that we cannot be complacent—and says that “commitment and energy” are still required if we are to continue to make progress. I most definitely agree with that, and I commend the minister and his team for their work so far.