A lifeline for people affected by suicide - Lara Van de Peer

It is estimated that when someone dies by suicide, up to 135 people may be impacted. The Suicide Bereavement Support Service (SBSS) is a Scottish Government initiative set up to help people who have been bereaved by suicide, delivered in partnership by Change Mental Health and Penumbra Mental Health in two pilots areas: Highland and Argyll & Bute, and Ayrshire & Arran, respectively.

The project was set up to provide support to families and friends of people who had died by suicide. It offers compassionate, emotional support and a space to talk through the particular and complex feelings that can follow losing a loved one in this way.

Practical support is also on offer, which can take the form of liaising with GPs, Police Scotland or social work departments, or even help with funeral arrangements, talking to the Procurator Fiscal or other practical details. Support is free and confidential and is delivered on a one-to-one basis, with phone, online, and face-to-face support all offered as needed.

Since it was set up, the team of comprehensively trained practitioners have worked with over 160 people, helping them to navigate their bereavement and the many unanswered questions that can be left following a suicide. The service provided is very much person-centred, and responsive to the fact that everyone’s journey through grief is different and unique.

As such, support is available from the days immediately after a suicide, or further down the line at a time when people may feel more ready to access it. There is no waiting list to receive support, meaning that people get help at the time they particularly need it, and uniquely, support is also available for as long as required, with some people staying with the service for a year or more.

So, as well as supporting those immediately affected by suicide, the SBS service has evolved to provide support to those who have been more widely exposed to suicide, for example, at school or university or at work. We can also support neighbours, emergency service staff or community members affected.

While support is only available in the areas of delivery, if a suicide occurred within these areas, but the bereaved family or friends live outwith them, then the service can still support them.

Feedback received from the people that the service supports have described it as a ‘lifeline’ and their support sessions as ‘a place where they are listened to and allowed to talk openly and express their feelings without any fear of being judged’.

Another person shared: “The suicide of my child was devastating. The support I have been receiving from the Suicide Bereavement Service has been invaluable in enabling me to find the strength to rebuild my life and heart.”

The initial two-year pilot came to an end on 31 March 2023, but a one-year extension has recently been granted by the Scottish Government, showing the importance placed on this service. Moving forward, as the Scottish Government starts to implement its new Suicide Prevention Strategy, 'Creating Hope Together', it’s very much hoped that everyone across Scotland will be able to access the Suicide Bereavement Support Service in the near future.

Referrals for support can be made by the Police, Scottish Ambulance Service, GPs, social work and mental health teams, as well as third sector and community support groups. Alternatively, people can also self-refer by contacting the SBSS team directly.

If you would like to know more about suicide bereavement support or find out how it can support you, please call and leave your name and number on 0800 4714768, email us at [email protected] or visit www.changemh.org/sbs.

Lara Van de Peer, Project Manager for the Suicide Bereavement Support Service at Change Mental Health.