What steps it is taking to promote the use of (a) postcards and (b) text messages as methods of providing support to people at risk of suic…

NHS Health Scotland’s Choose Life programme produces a range of resources for local areas and organisations to use, either internally with their work force or for their work force to give to people who are vulnerable to suicide or their family and friends. For example, the new Police Scotland is planning to issue the Choose Life key message card to all its staff so that they can refer to them and give them to members of the public as and when appropriate.
The resources are regularly updated and research undertaken to ensure that they are relevant and accessible to their intended audiences. Materials are distributed free in Scotland on request.
These include the following resources
- the numbers give the monthly average distribution:
Choose Life – Don’t Hide It Pocket Card – 800
Choose Life “Read Between the Lines” Key Message Card – 1,200
Choose Life Card – 170
Read Between the Lines Posters, 4 types – 3,000
After a Suicide Mental Health Booklet – 120
The Art of Conversation, full A4 document – 400
The Art of Conversation Summary – 3,300
As part of its awareness-raising activity, the Breathing Space telephone advice line for people experiencing low mood, depression or anxiety, has distributed postcards (“Help a friend stay in the game”) developed by Choose Life, at various Scottish Premier League football games.
Breathing Space pocket cards and other ambient materials are distributed throughout the country, both direct by Breathing Space and via its various partner organisations such as Choose Life, Scottish Huntington’s Association; Veterans 1st point; Royal National Institute for the Blind; Deafblind Scotland; and MacMillan Cancer Support – this information is specific to Breathing Space as a phone and web based service for people experiencing low mood, depression or anxiety.
Choose Life materials signpost people to help available from Samaritans and Breathing Space. Samaritans use text messages – among other methods
- to support people who contact them.
Under the new Future programme at NHS24 there are plans to introduce a text messaging service – at a time to be confirmed
- to support people experiencing low mood, depression or anxiety. NHS24 also have plans for an email service to complement this, again at a time to be confirmed.