Although Norman Lamb MP, the former UK Care Services Minister, praised the work that has been done to address mental health issues in Jersey, he suggested that the Island made a commitment to the scheme.
‘Zero suicide’ is based on the idea that suicide can be prevented if signs leading up to it – including depression – are screened for en masse.
The scheme means patients attending a clinic with diabetes or an A&E department with a heart attack are now screened for mental health issues, and if a depression diagnosis is made they are treated immediately and also, all information about the patient is kept on a centralised system, so they are not forgotten about if they move or leave the service they have been using.
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