A report has confirmed that suicide rates in Barnet have been reduced thanks to the council’s suicide prevention campaign.
Thanks to an evaluation from Middlesex University, it was shown that there was a significant drop in the suicide rate in the borough over the course of the three months that Barnet Council’s Suicide Prevention Campaign was running.
Running over the three months from October to December 2021, the campaign was aimed at working-aged men as it encouraged them to increase uptake of mental health support services. This work included:
- Promoting the ‘Stay Alive’ app
- Digital and outdoor media campaigning
- Community outreach
- Promoting Andy’s Man Club
Chair of Barnet Council’s Wellbeing Board, Cllr Alison Moore, said:
“I feel really proud of everyone in Barnet who has helped work towards these very positive outcomes from Barnet’s Suicide Prevention Campaign. Every life is important and we must all do what we can to help reduce the stigma and promote the benefits of seeking help for our mental health when it is needed. It is also very positive to know that the work of our communication campaigns do have real-term positive outcomes on the mental health of our communities.
“We remain committed to our work in suicide prevention and are using the findings to inform future initiatives to prevent suicides and support mental health in Barnet.”
The campaign was also delivered at what the report called ‘minimal cost’ as it was costed at £39,355, averting around ten suicides over the three months. Other achievements of the campaign include:
- Increasing engagement in the ‘Stay Alive’ app
- Positive user feedback for services
- Greater awareness and destigmatisation of mental health issues.
Lisa Marzano, Professor of Psychology at Middlesex University, added:
“Our findings support those in the Barnet Council Phase 1 Evaluation Report, and demonstrate that suicide prevention campaigns can make a real difference – and even a low-budget campaign can have a big impact on communities. I’m delighted to have worked on his project and proud that our research can be used to inform future suicide prevention campaigns, and hopefully help to save even more lives.”
Image credit: iStock
