Suicide prevention is not like building a model plane, you can't give them an instruction booklet and expect them to intervene. He says friends and family members are most likely to be involved in a suicide attempt and need to know warning signs to look out for. They include symptoms of depression, preoccupations with people who have committed suicide and giving away possessions. Anyone who recognises those signs should avoid playing armchair psychiatrist and get professional help, he says. Social workers, health professionals, counsellors and clergy also need training, he says.
Suicide is a specialist area that requires more training than is being given.
For example, I trained for two years to become a minister, I was totally unequipped for suicide prevention and had misinformation about suicide. I think that's dangerous. People who commit suicide don't want to die, they just want to end the pain. We don't seem to be doing a lot about ending the pain for young people. Surely that is what we should be trying to do.