Samaritans Scotland today welcomes the launch of the Scottish Government and COSLA’s new, long-term Suicide Prevention Strategy and Action Plan.
The Scottish Government and COSLA have today launched ‘Creating Hope Together: Scotland’s Suicide Prevention Strategy 2022-32’. Every life lost to suicide is a tragedy, and we hope the strategy will encourage more collaborative working and a ‘whole society’ approach where the root causes of distress and suicide are addressed.
In January, we published our vision for Scotland’s next suicide prevention strategy and we have worked with Scottish Government and colleagues across the sector since then to shape the new strategy and ensure that action is taken to address the barriers and inequalities that contribute to suicide risk, to improve support when it matters most and, ultimately, to ensure fewer lives are lost to suicide.
We are pleased that the strategy sets out both short and long-term actions which cover suicide prevention through all life stages, from childhood to older years, building on existing partnership working and opening up opportunities for new and innovative practice.
The strategy’s emphasis and investment in peer support is welcome and will help Scotland to build resilient communities and prevent suicide. We would encourage Scottish Government to continue to build on this investment by sustainably funding talking therapies and wider third sector community support to enable greater direct access for all who need it, alongside continuing work to promote and deliver 24-hour open access crisis support.
Neil Mathers, Executive Director of Samaritans Scotland, said:
It is vital that every part of government works together to ensure that fewer people die by suicide in Scotland. Decision makers at national and local level must take suicide prevention into account in everything they do. The new strategy sets out the vision that we can create hope by working together. Action is now required to build on this vision and ensure that everything the government does from action on the cost of living, to support for those in suicidal crisis, is working together to promote wellbeing and ensure fewer lives are lost to suicide in Scotland.
Neil Mathers, Executive Director
As the Scottish Government and COSLA have acknowledged, achieving this vision will require collaboration across sectors, services and communities. As leaders in suicide prevention and crisis support, we will continue to work in partnership with government, public services, the third sector and people with lived experience of suicidal crisis or bereavement.