Suicide, Mental Health and Life Events:

Is early intervention the key to reducing suicide levels in Scotland ?

One day conference, 26 May 2010

King James Thistle Hotel, Edinburgh EH1 3SW

Keynote Speaker
Alex McMahon, Deputy Director, Strategy & Planning, NHS Lothian
Professor Alex McMahon is the Deputy Director of Strategic Planning and Modernisation at NHS Lothian Board. A post which he took up in Sept 2008. Prior to this he has worked in the Scottish Government and the Royal College of Nursing as well as spending a number of years on other public and private sector roles. A nurse by background Alex also holds an honorary chair with the University of Stirling Department of Applied Social Sciences.

Also featuring:
Steve Platt, Professor of Health Policy Research, University of Edinburgh
Maruska Greenwood, Director, LGBT Centre for Health & Well Being
Wendy Kinnin, Senior Youth Counsellor, East Renfrewshire Council
Sue Maxwell, Head of Network Services, Relationship Scotland
Ola Skrzypulac, Self Harm Development Worker, Penumbra

Scotland has the highest rate of suicide in the UK and in 2002 the Scottish Government launched it's suicide prevention strategy ‘Choose Life'. Health Boards have been tasked with reducing the national suicide rate by 20% by 2013.

There is a wide range of opinion on the relationship between mental health and suicide. Many in the medical profession, particularly psychiatrists, believe that any suicide prevention strategy must have a focus on identifying and treating mental illness, particularly depression and substance misuse. Others believe that by linking suicide only with mental health we fail to take account of social factors such as depression brought on by long term health problems or personal crises and that we fail to explain why there are particularly high levels of suicide within certain professions and industries.

This conference is intended to look at all these factors and in particular to focus on the need for early intervention strategies similar to those adopted for other health related issues such as obesity and alcohol or substance misuse.

The conference will be of particular interest to health professionals, including psychiatrists and GPs, social workers, the police, HR professionals and those in the third sector whose client group includes those diagnosed as suffering from mental health or perceived as being ‘at risk' groups for suicide.

If you have any queries regarding the conference or would like find out more information, please email Karen

Delegate Rates

Full - £270.00 + VAT
private sector
Standard - £235.00 + VAT
public sector
Reduced - £190.00 + VAT
professional bodies, trade unions, charities with turnover greater than £1M, universities and colleges
Supported - £120.00 + VAT
charities with turnover less than £1M, voluntary and community organisations