Islanders urged to reach out to those who may be struggling

ISLANDERS struggling with the mental health are being urged to seek support through the numerous networks and charities available.

Today marks World Suicide Prevention Day which this year is centred on changing the narrative around suicide and breaking down the stigma and challenge harmful myths surrounding mental health.

World Suicide Prevention Day was established in 2003 by the International Association for Suicide Prevention in partnership with the World Health Organization and is held on 10 September each year.

In Jersey, a number of organisations are encouraging open discussion around mental health.

Jersey Samaritans branch director Tarnia Snepp said: “One in four of us will experience suicidal thoughts in our lifetime, but these thoughts can be interrupted. We mustn’t let politeness or fear of bothering someone prevent us from potentially making a life-saving interruption when they need it the most.” 

Ms Snepp pointed out that around 75% of people who die by suicide are men, reinforcing the need to reach out to those who are struggling in our communities.

“One of the biggest myths about suicide is that talking about it will put the idea into someone’s head. In reality, asking someone how they are feeling can provide a huge sense of relief and give them the space to speak openly,” she added.

Jersey Samaritans said it is advocating for all Islanders to bridge that extra gap in human communications with loved ones, adding that an extra conversation, phone call, text message, or a simple ‘hey, how are you?’ – could save someone’s life. 

Dr Patricia Tumelty, executive director at Mind Jersey, echoed the sentiment. She said: “Asking someone if they are having suicidal thoughts does not increase risk and can get a supportive conversation going.” 

The charity is running a drop-in coffee session between 10am and 4pm today, to offer a dedicated time to “pause” and remember that “behind every statistic is a person and the families, friends and communities behind them”.

Mind Jersey is encouraging anyone to attend the drop-in session, whether they are affected by suicide, want a place for reflection and quiet contemplation or if they have been bereaved through suicide.

“Suicide Zero Alliance describes how most people do not wish to die from suicide; they just want the way they are feeling or the situation they are in to stop or change,” Dr Tumelty added. 

“Building that understanding and confidence across our Island helps create communities where people feel able to reach out earlier and where more Islanders know how to respond when someone needs support.” 

Eddie Da Rocha, who helped set up the Danny Cram foundation in honour of his friend who took his own life aged 25, added that suicide can happen to anyone and that “if you want to protect those around you” learning how to have conversations around mental health issues and spot people suffering is vitally important – likening it to learning CPR.

“Equip yourself to spot someone in crisis and support them or point them in the right direction – save a life, you can do it,” he said.

“For the young adults in Jersey, I hope you take away an understanding that the system have failed many, and that’s why we started the Danny Cram Foundation, but together we have to build trust in that system again and in the professionals.”

In April 2025, the Government of Jersey launched a new Strategy for Suicide Prevention 2025–2029, with the central theme Connected in Hope in an attempt to reduce and prevent suicides across the Island.

Talking matters: Mark Birrell’s journey to learning to open up

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This year a joint campaign has been launched between Channel Islands Air Search, Guernsey Mind and Mind Jersey – ‘We See You’ – hoping to raise awareness of the growing link between emergency responses and mental health crises.

Over the past five years, 42% of Channel Islands Air Search deployments have been missing person searches. Mark Birrell (63) is a spokesperson for the campaign and is using his story to evidence that “talking matters.”

Aged 20, police officers arrived at Mr Birrell’s workplace to tell him that his mother had taken her own life.

Mr Birrell placed his grief aside, and only much later did he begin to recognise the effect of leaving difficult experiences and emotions unspoken for so long.

In 1987, Mark joined the fire service, a job which exposed him to countless traumatic and fatal situations that most people will never experience. 

Like many in this line of work, Mr Birrell developed his own coping mechanisms. Dark humour or being the “tough guy” – was his typical go to, allowing the bad to just bounce off him.  

After years of adding unchecked trauma, the first cracks in his wellbeing began to show. His trauma turned to anger, with Mr Birrell also suffering from insomnia, becoming increasingly introverted and losing enthusiasm for things he once enjoyed. 

Eventually, he reached the lowest point in his mental health, experiencing uncontrollable crying and suicidal thoughts.

For somebody who had experienced the devastation of losing his own mum to suicide, finding himself in that position was profound. 

Mr Birrell said: “I didn’t want my life to end, but rather, I wanted what was happening inside my head to end. I wanted the noise to stop. It is this distinction why I believe it is so important that we talk openly about suicide.”  

In a “switch flick moment,” Mr Birrell experienced a turn around when a friend reached out to him regarding their own mental health, which was when he realised how desperately he needed to speak to someone.

After decades of ignoring the problems and staying quiet, Mr Birrell sought help which allowed him to talk about his feelings, experiences and deeply buried trauma.

Slowly, he started learning to live with what had happened rather than trying to push it back into the box. 

Today, Mr Birrell works with the wellbeing team within the fire service, in the hopes to “make everyone feel seen.” He advocates for everyone to check in with their family, friends and colleagues no matter how strong, capable or successful that individual may be on the surface.  

“I cannot change what happened to my mum. I cannot erase the traumatic things I witnessed, and he cannot undo the period when I found myself contemplating suicide. But I can talk about them.”