Parliament Workbench

Petition · PE01725 · Session 5

Suicide awareness and support for young people

Closed Submitted 18 Jun 2019 Health
Signatures
0
2,161 online signatures with a country
Comments
192
Considered
3 meetings
in the Official Report

What it asks

Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to make suicide awareness education, information and training mandatory for all high school pupils, teachers, carers and parents and to provide specific ring-fenced funding for this training.

What the petitioner did first

I have raised these issues at meetings with Christina McKelvie MSP, Claire Adamson MSP and Linda Fabani MSP.
I have also raised these issues at meetings with the Depute Leader, North Lanarkshire Council (Councillor Paul Kelly) and the Depute Leader, South Lanarkshire Council (Councillor Maureen Chambers) as well as council officers at both councils.
I have raised these issues in writing with Nicole Sturgeon, First Minister and Claire Haughy MSP.

Where it was considered

Official Report
  1. 5 Sep 2019
    Public Petitions Committee
    New Petitions
    1 mention
  2. 16 Jan 2020
    Public Petitions Committee
    Continued Petitions
    1 mention
  3. 17 Sep 2020
    Public Petitions Committee
    Continued Petitions
    1 mention

Signatures by country

2,161 online signatures
  1. Scotland1,943 89.9%
  2. United Kingdom168 7.8%
  3. England34 1.6%
  4. United States8 0.4%
  5. Australia3 0.1%
  6. Wales1 0%
  7. Ireland1 0%
  8. Germany1 0%
  9. Northern Ireland1 0%
  10. Cyprus1 0%

Comments

192 comments, oldest first
192 comments · showing 1–50
  1. Frances Anne Nixon 21 Jun 2019
    Totally agree with petitioner. Education to raise awareness should be part of our national curriculum.
  2. Charlotte Cassidy 27 Jun 2019
    i agree with this 100%. i lost my dad to suicide when i was 2 years old, then when i was 17 my bestfriend took his own life. And me myself has tried to take my own lifeI but i believe if we were taught about our mental health it would have helped sooo much. Maybe if i knew the signs to look out for before now i could have helped my friend. I recently completed safe talk and i would recommend it for anyone 15+ as there is so many young people believing suicide is the only option. Its time we gave them understanding and knowlege and Hope about their mental health as it's just as importnant as their physical health.
  3. Suzanne ohare 27 Jun 2019
    Please invest in our youth
  4. Karen Mckeown 27 Jun 2019
    The amount of suicide is unacceptable. It time the government started to listen and give our youth a chance. I urge the government to carry out a full review of the mental health services. For more awareness is school starting from primary school. Enough is enough and action is needed.
  5. Margaret-Anne MacArthur 29 Jun 2019
    Thank you for this petition to Educate and raise awareness and and that help and support us available.
  6. Maria Pakpahan 29 Jun 2019
    The world need to support this petition as the youth are everywhere.The Scottish Parliament can start this effort and must do so.
  7. Edna Willaimson 30 Jun 2019
    Urgent support is required for young adolescents who struggle with issues in life. Please please make a difference!
  8. Claire Campbell 1 Jul 2019
    More needs to be done to prevent suicide
  9. Joanne Donald 1 Jul 2019
    This could save lives. What could be more important or worthwhile? Incorporate into the curriculum and give young vulnerable people much needed early intervention
  10. Alison Clarke 1 Jul 2019
    We need this done urgently, to help stop this epidemic stealing our loved ones.
  11. Karen Hannigan 1 Jul 2019
    It is time to take action. We need to support the next generation. Services should be readily available and waiting times need to be drastically reduced.
  12. Harriet Noden 1 Jul 2019
    We must help our young people and stop this epidemic of suicides
  13. Helen Flannigan 1 Jul 2019
    Something needs to be done and quickly as it is getting way out of hand. Every suicide opens up raw wounds for families left behind. We relive that day all over again.
  14. Jody stevens 1 Jul 2019
    Something has to change, our young people deserve more support, they need more support. Being put on waiting lists where there is no indication of time before being given the help they so desperstely need after opening up and asking for help is a devastating
  15. Lucia Scott 1 Jul 2019
    This, unfortunately, does not surprise me. To put things into perspective, the cost of giving someone therapy compared to lifelong medication (If suicide did not happen) is probably a lot less in the long-term. This is is something that the health services don't appear to look at. I have been through the system myself and I don't have faith in the way they treat mental health sufferers. The medication is great most (not all) days and this appears to be me for life now.
  16. Fiona Mclaughlan 1 Jul 2019
    I am really upset that so many of my friends children are taking their lifes like this we have to do more to and think that it is cocaine they are taking and think that a large percentage of the kids are dpressed because of it the government has to step in and stop needless lifes being destroyed in such a small area
  17. Fiona Lawrie 1 Jul 2019
    Time for change time to talk time to listen and most importantly time for action.
  18. Tracey O'Connor 2 Jul 2019
    Make sure the kids who then grow up into adults know.
    Theres always someone to talk to.
    Nobody should feel alone.
    Soo important.
    This could save a life.
  19. Maria Houghton 2 Jul 2019
    They have to put there money where there mouths are
  20. Janice ford 2 Jul 2019
    Something needs to be done before another young person takes their own life
  21. Melissa Cowan 3 Jul 2019
    Too many kids taking there own lives there needs to be more help out there drop in centres opened 24 hrs
  22. William mitchell 4 Jul 2019
    No words
  23. Susanne Young 4 Jul 2019
    Urgent action is needed, this is becoming a horrific epidemic
  24. Kerri stark 4 Jul 2019
    This needs attention. To many people have died because of their mental health
  25. Mary flannigan 4 Jul 2019
    An information service like this will save lives and allow young people the chance to discuss suicide openly
  26. Karen Cherry 4 Jul 2019
    I support the very worthwhile needed cause
  27. Jackie Robertson 4 Jul 2019
    Needs urgent attention too many suicides
  28. Joy Mitchell 4 Jul 2019
    A more comprehensive approach must be taken. Suicide is not always or even mostly as a consequence of a diagnosable mental health condition. Being bullied, shunned and ignored, lacking sense of purpose and seeing no positive future, are all reasons behind suicides especially in young people. This is not only a mental health crisis, it is a societal disaster.
  29. Tracy hall 5 Jul 2019
    How many more young people have to die?
  30. Louise spring 5 Jul 2019
    It is time suicide stopped being seen as a rare act that only happens to other people and dealt with as the common and often preventable close to leading cause of death in some demographics that it actually is. People stick to the former as suicide makes them feel distinctly uncomfortable
    - the way to change that is open discussion and the reduction of stigma.
  31. Mairi Patterson 5 Jul 2019
    It's more people we need to invest time and provide confidentiality for young people with suicidal thoughts and other problems, I've been there myself but never had any help like this and I've made it this far. People need to know when they talk, we'll be there to listen.
  32. Edith Gray Mackellar 5 Jul 2019
    Urgent action needed
  33. Lizz Higgins 5 Jul 2019
    Something needs to change URGENTLY!!!
  34. Grace Gracie 5 Jul 2019
    There should be no delay in actioning this when there are lives at stake.
  35. Fiona Ford 5 Jul 2019
    My daughter took her life 4 weeks ago through society and the NHS failing her again something had to be done urgently it's became an epidemic so sad the amount of children and young ones taking their own life's
  36. Suzanne Dunbar 6 Jul 2019
    How many more lives must be taken? Educate and show people support
  37. Beverly Cornbill 6 Jul 2019
    This is urgent
  38. Peter Mitchell 6 Jul 2019
    Its soo sad that soo many of our young men and women see suicide as their only option..More help is needed to help tackle the causes and provide support to prevent our kids young friends ending their own lives.
  39. Davina Lockhart 6 Jul 2019
    Urgent action required
  40. Danielle Pollock 6 Jul 2019
    Mental health is not dealt with properly, and we need to focus more on it, we lose too many people to suicide, young and older, we're not doing enough to stop this.
  41. Maureen cathcart 6 Jul 2019
    Our young people are crying out for help, please listen
  42. Daniel James gallacher 6 Jul 2019
    Provide a mandatory mental health first aid course for all education sectors. 12 hours minimum
  43. Jacqueline Nisbet 7 Jul 2019
    Lost a very close family member to suicide so am right behind this campaign.
  44. Michael Richardson 7 Jul 2019
    This is absolutely crucial. Far too many young people become victims of suicide
  45. John Brown 7 Jul 2019
    Prevention and awareness will save lives.
  46. Terry Mcculloch 7 Jul 2019
    Please make this a priority,, as I believe we are in the middle of a suicide epidemic, and it's heart breaking to see broken families and friends left with no answers.
  47. Sarah Simms 7 Jul 2019
    I lost my beautiful son Ben to suicide in August 2018 it has destroyed me more help information and awareness around suicide and mental health is a MUST
  48. Eunice Brown 9 Jul 2019
    Please..this is happening to too many young ones these days...hear them and help them...
  49. Julie Carr 10 Jul 2019
    Too many young people especially men are losing their lives to suicide and we need to make sure support is available to stop this happening
  50. Gemma Haugh 11 Jul 2019
    Too many young people are crying out for help. Support is a must to stop this from happening.