Action on Male Suicide charity event on Monday 2 November
Action on Male Suicide, a research-led charity, is holding an event in Edinburgh on Monday 2 November to help people better understand what is driving male suicide and what could be done differently to help more men stay alive.
The free event, which runs from 10am-5pm, will be held at 86 Candlemaker Row, in the Grassmarket.
It will bring together local residents, people with lived experience of male suicide, charities, health professionals, emergency services, community organisations, policymakers and researchers to share what they know about male suicide, learn from what is happening locally and identify practical priorities for change.
The event forms part of a UK-wide programme of ‘national conversations’ organised by Action on Male Suicide, which is dedicated to transforming how we understand and respond to male suicide. Events are also taking place in Dundee, Belfast, Wrexham, London, Middlesbrough and Birmingham.
It will be led by male-suicide researcher and Action on Male Suicide founder Dr Susie Bennett, an honorary research fellow at the University of Glasgow. Her research has explored the experiences of thousands of men around the world who have been suicidal, including the social, psychological and relational factors that can contribute to suicidal distress.
She said: “For years, my work has been driven by one question: why do so many men reach a point where death can feel like their only option?
“We have learned an enormous amount by listening to men who have been suicidal, but that knowledge cannot remain inside universities and academic journals. It needs to reach the people who can actually use it.
“That is what these national conversations are about. We want to bring the research into communities, listen to what people in places like Edinburgh are seeing and experiencing, and ask what we can collectively do to make things better for men.”
The event will share the latest research into male suicide risk and protective factors, alongside local experiences and approaches to supporting men. Participants will also be invited to share gaps in existing support, priorities for change and opportunities for organisations across the area to work together.
The charity says that its work seeks to ensure that the voices of men who are suicidal and of families bereaved by male suicide, are central to conversations about what needs to change.
Mark Gallagher, a living-experience adviser to Action on Male Suicide who recently survived a suicide attempt, said:
“Real suicide prevention isn’t awareness days, hashtags or kind slogans. It’s proactive support, patience for ‘messy’ recovery and compassion that continues after the spotlight fades.
“It’s professionals and communities reaching in, not waiting for the most broken people to reach out again and again,” he emphasised.
Pictured: Dr Susie Bennett, honorary research fellow at the University of Glasgow and founder of Action on Male Suicide
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