Two-thirds of employees are using wrong and potentially harmful terms to describe suicide, according to Mental Health First Aid England.
Its survey found that only one in 10 are following the correct advice when it comes to discussing suicide at work, which is to ask someone directly if they have a plan to end their life.
A term such as “committed suicide” stems from a time when suicide was illegal, and using it can signal blame and contribute to stigma, the mental health first aid training organisation said.
That said, MHFA England also found that the number of people who believe common myths around suicide has declined in the past year. In 2023, one in three people believed that asking someone if they have plans to end their own life would put the idea in their head, which is not the case.
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In 2024, this reduced to one in five respondents, but there is still progress to be made, according to the organisation.
Almost a quarter (23%) of employees polled are responding to colleagues who share suicidal thoughts with unhelpful phrases such as “please don’t do anything stupid”, which can undermine someone’s experience and contribute to taboos around discussing it.
Sarah McIntosh, MHFA England chief executive, said: “Using outdated language in the workplace, and beyond, is fuelling the stigma that’s holding many people back from having lifesaving conversations about suicide.
“Lots of people still do not view mental health as equal to physical health and that shows in the discriminatory words they use to describe it. Our language is important. It can help us eradicate stigma.”
She added that workplaces have an important role in normalising conversations about suicide, and to embed suicide awareness and prevention into their mental health strategies.
This should include how to spot the signs of someone who may be thinking about suicide and giving employees the confidence to intervene.
Michelle Stebbings, executive lead at Support After Suicide Partnership, said the research showed that people still shy away from having “lifesaving conversations” about suicide.
“Often this is a result of common misconceptions around discussing suicide and a lack of confidence in having these conversations in an appropriate way.
“Research shows that 9% of people bereaved by suicide go on to make an attempt themselves. At Support After Suicide, our vision is that everyone bereaved by suicide is offered timely and appropriate support. Workplaces can play a vital role in ensuring this happens.”
Lexie Newlands works in the Pet Nutrition Strategy and Transformation team at Mars. She began training in mental health first aid in 2022, driven by a desire to help others struggling with mental health challenges and losing a friend to suicide.
She said: “I was scrolling social media when I saw some alarming posts from someone at work who was displaying signs of crisis. I messaged them and offered to talk and suggested that they go to A&E if they were worried about their safety.
“I used my MHFA training to show that I was there to support them and show them where they could get professional help. In the end, I kept them talking, found out where they were and managed to get the emergency services to them.
“As I’d completed the MHFA course, I was able to confidently navigate this challenging situation in the best possible way.”
Tuesday (10 September) is World Suicide Prevention Day. MHFA England estimates that as many as 650 suicides in the UK each year could be work-related – approximately 10% of all suicides.
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