Suicide prevention service calls for action on Derry bridges

Representatives from Papyrus (Prevention of Young Suicide) warned that ‘every year’ lives are being lost at such locations.

Speaking as she addressed the December meeting of Derry & Strabane Council’s Health and Community Committee, area manager with the charity, Caroline King urged the Council to amplify the message that preventing access to such locations was instrumental in saving lives.

Referring to the ‘planned work that has been stalled on the bridge’, Caroline King said: “Every year we have number of people who die from the bridge or attempts on the bridge and the very fact that people see the bridges as an opportunity, or a place to go to in relation to ending their life, we can very easily remedy that if we take that away.

"We know that cutting out access to means reduces suicide massively. We have seen that internationally.”

Derry & Strabane Council was urged to “push forward and say, ‘look, what will it take to get it over the line?’"

"It has been ten years in the making and look at the number of deaths that have occurred and they are preventable when it comes to the bridge.”

Some elements of £25m ‘Our Future Foyle’ project to transform the riverfront and address suicide concerns were scrapped last year, while the Department for Infrastructure in April 2022 cast doubt on whether the ‘Foyle Reeds’ element along the Foyle Bridge would ever now be built.

‘Our Future Foyle’ was launched in the Guildhall in 2018 as a ‘cultural and health intervention’, but most elements have never happened, with excuses for delays put forward by government departments including the considerable cost and challenging budgetary pressures.

Meanwhile the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) last week confirmed that 203 deaths by suicide were registered in Northern Ireland in 2022.

The Papyrus representatives said that for too long people generally had, unknowingly, been making talking about the issue of suicide off-limits.

Papyrus was set up as a national charity 26 years ago in Britain by a group of parents who had lost their children to suicide. It was introduced in the north during the pandemic in 2020, with offices in Skeoge in Derry and in East Belfast.

In a short video presentation, it was explained to the Council that the organisation aims to work towards suicide prevention, shatter stigmas and open uncomfortable dialogues.

It also works to help young people see a way forward in life, provide a listening ear when needed, and is focused on ‘not just speaking to, but speaking with young people’. The organisation also provides training to friends and relatives, health professionals, councils and schools.

Caroline King told the Health and Community Committee that ‘suicide is the biggest killer of people under 35 in the UK’, and that each death by suicide was known to have a direct impact on around 135 to 160 people.

"The total number registered of all suicides for all ages in 2021 was 6,573, and then of that the number of young people aged under 35 who died was 1,920. On average, we are losing about 200 school age teenagers a year to suicide, so massive figures. We know that behind those figures, for every suicide the research shows that about 135 to 160 people are impacted by those suicides, so when you put our population that we have here, just under 2 million people, and look at the number of people who have died by suicide and then multiply that by the 135, there’s a massive population in Northern Ireland that have been impacted.”

Caroline King spoke of how the organisation has opened a confidential ‘Hopeline 247’ that runs 365 days a year, 24 hours a day.

"We work to support young people aged up to 35 so young people can call, email or text us for free.

“The email and text are really popular with young people, particularly young men because its really hard to lift the phone and talk to someone so we get a lot of responses from young people checking out ‘Is this the right service for me?’, and then lifting the phone and ringing us.”

"When they do lift the phone to ring us, our team are qualified, they are mixed: it’s counsellors, ex-teachers, nurses, social workers, youth workers. It’s a multi-disciplinary team we have on the phone and they are there to make sure the young person stays safe, and one of the things they do is create a safety plan. We have a website and on our website called ‘hopelink’ and they can go on with their individual password link and use that any time night and day.”

Papyrus also speaks with ‘concerned others’, family and friends who are worried about a young person who can also contact the hopeline.

They also intervene in emergencies where someone needs medical attention and other support.

A debriefing service is offered to external people such as teachers and local elected representatives.

The group further tries to influence government at all levels “to let them know this is something we should be talking about, we shouldn’t be hiding away from it.”

"We create stigma for young people because we, unknownst to us, say to them we shouldn’t talk about suicide, drugs or sex and then we don’t because we are afraid of the conversations and that creates the stigma for young people. We have to find safe ways to talk about these topics and we know that we have safe ways to talk about suicide prevention,” Caroline said.

Sinn Féin Councillor Paul Boggs said that as a teacher, anyone like himself who works with young people and parents would be aware of the importance of not waiting for the conversation to start, but starting that conversation.

“When there is something wrong by the look of them or the mood, the first thing you say is ‘Are you OK?’ and that is when the floodgates can open. If we don’t start the conversation things can stick and stick and stick.”

He described the widespread impact of suicide as ‘shocking’, and commended the multiple platforms Papyrus had opened up for young people to contact them. He also proposed Council look at whether there is a gap in its own members’ training and suggested working with Papyrus to address that.

Colr. Boggs asked what more elected reps could be doing on a local an regional basis, and was told helping expedite stalled plans for safety measures at Derry’s bridges would help with suicide prevention.

UUP Alderman Derek Hussey said an early phrase used ‘where suicide is preventable’ was personally very impactful.

"Thirty years ago my younger brother took his own life and the night before I was with him at a social event and to this day I still say to myself was there something I didn’t spot,” he said. “It’s that issue of recognising when you are being approached. I note that you work with under-35s, he was 35.

"Similar to Colr. Boggs, the impact issue, the 135, we have heard of cases where a young person has taken their own life and then all of a sudden there is this cluster which can be extremely worrying, not alone those who may take their own lives but the impact it has on friends and family.”

SDLP Colr. Catherine McDaid, who works in mental health, said Papyrus was right about having the confidence to say the words and take that stigma away. “The more people are trained and confident to do that the better.”

She said the fact that Papyrus was working with people aged up to 35 was vital. "In my own personal circle we lost two people who couldn’t get into statutory services.”

During the meeting, Caroline King reiterated the important of dialogue: “We cannot put this idea in someone’s head. If we talk about suicide it is not going to make someone think all of a sudden about ending their life. We have lots of research to show that is not the case. If someone is thinking about suicide and you ask the question, they will either be relieved you have asked it and start talking about it or they will say they are not that bad.”

Derry-based Papyrus volunteer co-ordinator Derryn Melly agreed, saying it’s about normalising the conversation and knowing how to address the situation and speak about it confidently.

SDLP Colr. Jason Barr said he has seen firsthand in his job the immediate aftermath of suicide and the devastating impact on relatives.

He said it was amazing to have a service like Papyrus for people, and that it was important to let those who are bereaved through suicide know this service is available.

Chairing the meeting, SDLP Colr. Brian Tierney said that giving people the confidence to ask the question was vital, as well as knowing what to do once the answer comes.

The Papyrus hopeline is available at 0800 0684141, text 07860 039967 or email [email protected]

Alternatively, in NI the Lifeline helpline is 0808 808 8000; The Samaritans line is 02871 265511 or Freephone 116 123; and Childline is 0800 1111 or visit www.childline.org.uk.

Anyone in distress in RoI can contact Pieta House on 1800 247 247 or text HELP to 51444; TEXT Crisis Textline Ireland on 50808; or ring The Samaritans on 116-123.