Suicide prevention with Homeless People

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Suicide Prevention with Homeless People

• DOUGGIE STRUTHERS,
• Training Manager, Blue triangle Housing
  Association.
• WILLIE McBRIDE,
• Manager, Glasgow Street Service

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• Suicide is as old as recorded history. Probably
  older.
• Noted in almost every culture in every era.
• In any given year throughout the world more
  people will die by suicide than will die in armed
  conflict.
• For every suicide there are around 100 suicidal
  behaviours that dont end in death. They occur as
  often as car accidents and out number any other
  type of serious injury.
• In any given year 5-7 of a countries population
  will have thoughts of suicide. (Serious community
  health problem!)
• The majority do not act upon these thoughts and
  walk away from suicide-others will need our help.

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Contributaries of Suicide (no thoughts of
suicide)
Thoughts of Suicide
Suicidal Behavior
Death or Harm
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Why do we have higher risk groups?

• In terms of experiencing stressful and traumatic
  events.
• Becoming homeless How it happened, what
  happened,
• how was this experienced?
• Roofless/ temp accom/ sofa surfing.
• Family breakdown/ bereavement.
• Abuse Sexual, emotional, physical.
• Ex-care system.
• Further abuse by peers whilst homeless.
• Drug involvement (poly drug use).
• Alcohol dependency.
• Sex work/ exploitation.
• Mental health issues.
• Poverty and deprivation.
• Vicarious trauma.

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• Children
• Think differently.
• Bullying.
• Adolescents
• Puberty.
• Gender issues.
• Peer pressure.
• Adults
• Effects of loss can be more intense.
• Increased alcohol/ drug use.
• Mental health issues.

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safeTALK

• safeTALK is a half day session aimed at giving
  participants the skills to recognise that someone
  may be suicidal and to connect the person to
  someone with suicide intervention skills. It is
  designed for communities or organisations that
  already have ASIST trained helpers in place
  to maximise intervention as the main suicide
  prevention focus.
• Participants learn how to provide practical help
  to persons with thoughts of suicide in only a few
  hours. safeTALK prepares them to be an alert
  helper.

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ASIST

• ASIST is a 2-day intensive, interactive and
  practice-dominated course aimed at enabling
  people to spot the risk of suicide and provide
  immediate help to persons at risk. It is suitable
  for anyone, from professionals and volunteers to
  members of the community. Participants range from
  those in caring roles to people concerned about
  family members or friends.
• ASIST has five learning sections
• Preparing
• Connecting
• Understanding
• Assisting
• Networking
• Participants who have attended ASIST report that
  they learn new skills and have increased
  confidence to effectively recognise the potential
  signs of suicidal behaviour and intervene to keep
  someone safe.

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Pre Choose Life campaign in Scotland

• No National Framework.
• Muddling through as best we can.
• Missing/ Dismissing/ Avoiding suicide
  interventions.

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Post Choose Life

• National Framework.
• (Policy, Research, Practice)
• Training programme implemented.
• More people Ready, Willing and Able to intervene
  but
• still work in progress

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• Suicide is best understood not so much
• as a movement toward death as it is a
• movement away from something and
• that something is always the same
• intolerable emotion, unendurable pain or
• unacceptable anguish.
• Reduce the level of suffering and the
• individual will choose to live.
• (Edwin Shneidman 1993)