To coincide with World Suicide Prevention Day, Public Health England have published a new practice toolkit for people with responsibility for suicide prevention in local authorities and their partner agencies.
Professor Keith Hawton from the University of Oxford Department of Psychiatry led the creation of this resource.
The document includes:
- the meaning of the term 'suicide clusters'
- identification of suicide clusters
- suggestions for who may be at risk of suicidal acts due to the influence of other people's suicidal behaviour
- the mechanisms involved in suicide clusters
- the effects of suicide on other individuals
The steps required at local level to prepare for a suicide cluster are described alongside suggested responses to possible suicide clusters.
Finally, best practice is provided on how to evaluate responses to a cluster, and on using the experience to improve further suicide prevention measures.
The resource was launched at the Thames Valley Suicide Prevention and Intervention Network (SPIN) Conference, 10 September 2015, where Prof. Keith Hawton introduced Madeleine Moon, MP for Bridgend and in Wales and Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Suicide and Self-harm Prevention.