Aberdeen City Council gives backing to new suicide prevention campaign

10 September 2020

Aberdeen City Council has expressed its support for a new suicide prevention campaign whose visual identity was launched today (Thursday 10 September).

The launch of the visual identity by Scotland’s National Suicide Prevention Leadership Group (NSPLG) coincides with World Suicide Prevention Day and is called United to Prevent Suicide.

The new approach to suicide prevention is underpinned by the belief that we each have a role to play in tackling stigma and being prepared to talk frankly about the subject and connecting those at risk.

Councillor Claire Imrie, Aberdeen City Council’s mental health spokeswoman, said: “On behalf of the Council I fully endorse the aims of United to Prevent Suicide and we will continue to spread the message and lend our support in raising mental health issues and removing associated stigmas.

“We have long recognised that we each have a part to play in ensuring the mental health and wellbeing of others and that is why we set up our own employee-led Mental Health First Aid network. Through confidential peer interventions we are helped in identifying potential mental health issues at an early stage and help prevent problems from worsening.

“Additionally, we offer staff face-to-face and e-learning on mental health awareness and we also had our inaugural Mental Health Awareness Week in October which covered a wide range of related topics and has helped create a culture where our people feel comfortable in discussing these issues. This ties in directly with the work of the NSPLG and makes us better prepared to help tackle the issue of suicidal thoughts which, sadly, affect many people from all different walks of life”.

A Scotland-wide suicide prevention campaign will begin shortly following today’s visual identity launch.