Suicide Prevention Day 10th September 2023
Thursday 7th September 2023
Wiltshire Council and partners are raising awareness of Domestic Abuse and Suicide in the lead up to Suicide Prevention Day on 10th September 2023.
Education settings can play an important part in raising awareness, implementing preventative education and signposting to support.
Some examples of actions include:
- Teaching effective PSHE (including mental health education and healthy relationships)
- Promoting staff wellbeing
- Staff attending Youth Mental Health First Aid courses (during which we cover suicide among young people)
- Promoting sources of support
There are many sources of local support for adults and young people including onyourmind (young people) and Shout (all ages)
FearFree is the commissioned provider of Domestic Abuse (DA) support in Wiltshire
They provide trauma-informed, person-centred, domestic abuse support to victims and their families
They aim to increase the safety & wellbeing of children and young people affected by Domestic Abuse, to break the cycle of abuse
(FearFree was previously known as FearLess and Splitz).
FearFree - Local Support for Domestic Abuse
Referrals and enquiries: an individual or agency that needs advice and/or support for themselves or someone else at risk of domestic abuse in Wiltshire can contact the support number (9am - 5pm): 01225 775276 or email spa@fear-less.org.uk
Samaritans provide advice on responding to a suicide in school.
Some further information about domestic abuse and suicide.
- Female victims of domestic abuse are 3 times more likely to die by suicide compared to their peers (Women’s Aid)
- Female victims who have suffered sexual abuse or violence as part of the domestic abuse are 7 times more likely to die by suicide compared to their peers (Women’s Aid)
Perpetrator suicides
- High risk perpetrators of domestic abuse are 18 times more likely to die by suicide when compared to the general population (DRIVE)
- Seventy-one percent of the perpetrators were considered to have a vulnerability and the most common were: illicit drug use, mental ill-health, and problematic alcohol use.
- Thirty one percent of perpetrators were affected by mental health issues and for 23% this was depression and 21% were suicidal thoughts. (DHR REVIEW Key findings from analysis of domestic homicide reviews - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk))
An audit of cases of suicide of AWP service users found that there were specific risk factors present in many of the cases prior to the suicide where domestic abuse was present. The factors listed below were particularly prominent for perpetrators of domestic abuse:
- Recent separation (especially relevant for perpetrators of domestic abuse),
- Not in work/ education
- Previous suicide attempt
- History of self harm
- Problematic alcohol use
- Substance use
- Economic adversity
There is a National Suicide Prevention Strategy which is available on Suicide prevention strategy for England - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). The strategy includes an impact statement, inequality considerations, statistics, advice and guidance for people concerned about someone who may be at risk of suicide and prompts for leaders on suicide prevention.
