Choose Life: early experiences of implementing Scotland's suicide prevention strategy
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/17465729200700004 |
| Pages | 20-24 |
| Published date | 01 March 2007 |
| Date | 01 March 2007 |
| Author | Jacki Gordon,Cameron Stark |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care |
Scotland has developed a national suicide prevention strategy,Choose Life, as part of a wider
programme of mental health promotion and mental illness prevention.This paper repor ts findings
from a survey of Choose Life co-ordinators, who are based in each local authority area and
supported by a central team. The survey sought their views on progress, and achieved an 85%
response rate. Co-ordinators identified challenges in promoting suicide prevention in a policy-rich
environment with manycompeting priorities, in persuading local agencies to provide mainstream
rather than project funds, and in keeping up-to-date with national and international research findings.
The responses bythe national team to these identified challenges are outlined.
Choose Life: early experiences
of implementing Scotland’s
suicide prevention strategy
Jacki Gordon
National information
manager
Choose Life
Glasgow
Cameron Stark
Honorary clinical
senior lecturer
Centre for Rural Health
University of Aberdeen
and Consultant in
public health
NHS Highland
Correspondence to:
Jacki Gordon
National information
manager
Choose Life
Europa Building
450 Argyle Street
GlasgowG2 8LG
Jacki.Gordon@
scotland.gsi.gov.uk
REVIEW
20 journal of public mental health
vol 6 • issue 1
The World Health Organization
(WHO) declared suicide a ‘priority
public health issue’ over 20 years ago
(WHO, 1985), and more recently
estimated that each year about one
million people die by suicide (WHO, 2004). This is
likely to be a conservative estimate; the number of
suicides may be considerably higher (Hawton, 2005).
While the incidence of suicides is a clearly of global
concern, there are significant variations between
countries (Leon et al, 2003). Even within the UK,
there are substantial differences (Platt, 2003):
currently Scotland’s suicide rate is nearly twice that
for England and Wales (Platt et al, 2006).
Many countries now have suicide prevention
strategies (Anderson & Jenkins, 2005; Hawton,
2005). In Scotland, the Scottish Executive
launched Choose Life, the national strategy and
action plan to prevent suicide in Scotland (Scottish
Executive, 2002), in December 2002. Choose Life
calls for ‘shared responsibility’ in tackling suicide,
and defines suicide prevention as the responsibility
of public, private and voluntary agencies (Scottish
Executive, 2002). It endorses the importance of
partnership working and effective leadership, and
the value of combining a targeted approach
(focusing on those who are most at risk) with
population approaches (to reduce the risk factors
that lead to heightened vulnerability).
Choose Life is implemented as part of Scotland’s
National Programme for Improving Mental Health
and Well-Being. Thus, it is integrated within, and
complemented by,abroader public health approach
to mental health (Platt, 2003).
In a previous article in this journal, Gregor
Henderson (director of the National Programme)
commented on the approach taken to improving
mental health in Scotland:
‘In choosing what we do and how, we believe
that one of the ways to achieve success for the
programme is to build on what is already in place
in Scotland and ensure that a mental health and
well-being perspective is included in this work.’
(Henderson et al, 2002; p37)
This vision applies equally to suicide prevention in
Scotland.
Choose Life provides seed corn funding to each
of Scotland’s 32 local authority areas, which
(through community planning partnerships)
produce their respective local suicide plans. Each
area appoints a Choose Life co-ordinator, who
assumes lead responsibility for the implementation
of the local action plan. Subject to local agreement,
co-ordinators can be from any relevant agency or
voluntary body.Some are employed full-time as co-
ordinators; others, notably individuals holding
©Pavilion Journals (Br ighton) Ltd
Keywords
suicide prevention
prevention strategy
mental health
promotion
mental health
policy
implementation
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