Suicide prevention professor: ‘Talking saves lives’
Despite an increase in prevention efforts, the suicide rate in the Netherlands has not decreased in recent years. According to Professor of Suicide Prevention Renske Gilissen, a better understanding and above all targeted action could save more lives. But this requires a collective effort from society as a whole.
‘Fifteen years ago, we didn’t have a dedicated helpline in the Netherlands for people with suicidal thoughts. Now staff at 113 Zelfmoordpreventie take around 500 calls a day. The demand is huge impact on’, says Gilissen in an interview ahead of her inaugural lecture. She is a professor by special appointment in Leiden and research lead at 113 Zelfmoordpreventie, a suicide prevention organisation. Awareness and understanding of the importance of prevention have grown significantly in recent years. ‘There’s a growing realisation that we should try to prevent suicide -- and that everyone has a role to play’, says Gilissen. ‘Not just the mental health services and government, but also schools, employers, families and friends.’
Suicide rate remains unchanged
Because despite this growing awareness, the suicide rate in the Netherlands has remained largely unchanged in recent years. On average, five people die by suicide every day, and an estimated hundred attempt to take their own lives. ‘Sixty per cent of the people who die had no contact with mental health services’, says Gilissen. ‘That’s why it’s so important that people outside the healthcare system learn to recognise the signs and feel able to talk about it.’
Reasons behind suicide
A key part of her research focuses on the motivations behind suicide. ‘We speak with bereaved families to understand what happened in the final weeks and months’, says Gilissen. ‘It’s usually a combination of factors -- psychological issues, a biological predisposition to depression or another disorder, childhood trauma, and on top of that things like unemployment and loneliness.’
Increase among young women
Men on benefits aged between 40 and 70 remain a high-risk group, Gilissen notes. She is also concerned about the rise in suicides among young people, who are struggling with problems such as the pressure to achieve, long-term mental health problems and difficulties accessing appropriate care. Young adults are once again in the spotlight following new figures from Statistics Netherlands (CBS), which show a rise in suicides among young women.
Effective prevention programmes
It’s a painful reality: much of the knowledge is already there, but it’s not always put into practice, and people in need often do not receive help. Gilissen recently gave a lecture to 100 secondary school teachers. ‘When I asked the room, nearly everyone had a pupil in their class who self harms’ But when I asked who had a policy in place or knew what to do, only three hands went up.’ She plans to continue researching the effectiveness of prevention programmes in years ahead and is already making further recommendations.
Layered approach to prevention
Gilissen says that multiple types of prevention are needed. ‘Every measure helps, but each has its blind spots. The more you combine, the better you mitigate the risks.’ She gives an example: all educational institutions should have standard policies and clear action plans for students experiencing suicidal thoughts. ‘Train more teachers, mentors and student psychologists in this. What should you ask and wha’s better left unsaid? What steps can you take if a student is suicidal?’
She also wants information about suicide prevention embedded more broadly in education. It is already on the psychology curriculum but is not yet standard in fields like pedagogy, medicine or other social sciences.
The power of talking
In her lecture, she calls on everyone to look out for one another. ‘Don’t be afraid to start a conversation, especially if someone seems to be struggling and there’s a relationship of trust. Ask how they’re really doing. Ask if they ever think about dying and how you can help them find support. Research shows that for people who have or have had suicidal thoughts talking about it can be the first step to recovery.’ Not everyone is open to help and such conversations can be daunting, Gilissen acknowledges. That is why 113 Zelfmoordpreventie offers free online training through Vraagmaar | 113 Zelfmoordpreventie. She hopes her message will resonate. ‘Talking saves lives.’