Social workers must confront taboos around suicide and depression

BASW is urging social workers to use today’s World Suicide Prevention Day to begin confronting taboos about suicide and depression, as a preventative film is launched with part funding from the Association.

BASW is also reminding social workers that there are a number of resources available to help, crucial assistance that can help prevent the traumatic affect of suicide and depression on families and professionals alike.

Commenting as World Suicide Prevention Day launches, BASW professional officer Joe Godden said: “More people in the UK die each year from suicide than die on our roads, yet the subject remains taboo for many people. The film we are helping to launch today is a useful resource for social workers to increase their own knowledge about suicide, but we encourage them to also show it to the service users that they work with.

“Many of the people that we work with are burdened by huge pressures in their lives, and are more likely to be at an increased risk of suicide.

“It is important to look out for signs of people who may be at risk of suicide, often it is not simply a case of someone saying outright ‘I want to kill myself’. Signs of depression can be varied and sometimes subtle too. Classic symptoms can differ depending on the person’s age or circumstances.

“It is all about creating trust so that people can be honest with their social worker about how they are feeling. If asked sensitively and in the right way, it is OK to ask people directly if they are feeling suicidal.

“Social work skills in communication, and really listening to people, are so important. It is much better to ask than to suppress any fears you may have about a person’s mental health.”

“It is important also that social workers seek help for themselves if they are experiencing depression. Social work is a stressful job for many reasons, and as social workers, we often neglect our own well-being, expending time and emotional energy supporting others, but not thinking about our own mental health. Friends and colleagues may perceive us as having the knowledge and resources to cope, which can make it more difficult to raise concerns about our mental health.”

BASW is running a ‘Looking After Ourselves’ seminar on 16 October. For more on this, visit;
http://www.basw.co.uk/www.basw.co.uk/events/looking-after-ourselves-seminar/