Mental health firm creates guide to mark World Suicide Prevention Day

A Yorkshire-based workplace health and wellbeing provider has released a free guide in support of World Suicide Prevention Day on 10th September 2020.

The guide, produced by wellbeing specialists Champion Health, has been released to help dispel the myths around suicide and provide actionable steps on how to support someone with suicidal thoughts.

Launched in 2018 by Sheffield-based entrepreneur Harry Bliss, Champion Health offers evidence-based workplace health programmes tailored to organisations, offering a range of solutions from online employee health assessments and company reports to digital and in-person wellbeing services.

The business was established in response to the loss of one of Harry’s friends, who took his own life following an acute bout of workplace stress.

Harry comments: “In my friend’s case, it appeared like he had it all. An amazing wife, two children and had a high-flying job as a director of a global company. He had raised over £750,000 for charity and had a large friendship group that he was the centre of. It only goes to show, those that we believe have it all can also be struggling.”

The World Health Organization estimates that over 800,000 people take their own life each year – that is one person every 40 seconds. In the UK alone, there are on average 109 deaths by suicide per week and recent figures also show the suicide rate for men is at its highest for two decades (Office for National Statistics, 2020).

Working together to prevent suicide is the theme for World Suicide Prevention Day this year and Champion Health says we can all do our bit, with co-founder Harry keen to emphasise the importance of starting a conversation.

Harry explains: “After my friend died, it really changed my outlook on life. I don't want any families or friendship groups to have to endure the gut wrenching feeling at the funeral and beyond. That’s why everyone should be clear on the warning signs of suicidal thoughts and be brave enough to start a conversation if something doesn't feel right.

“Rarely is it a single factor that leads to the horrific outcome. We must understand that human beings are complex, as is suicide. But quite simply having a conversation can be a life-saving intervention.”

The guide includes contact details of organisations which can help as well as useful advice, information, and myths around suicide.