An Alexandria mum whose 17-year-old son took his own life has made a renewed plea for local support services as new “appalling” figures were revealed.
Lizzi Stuart spoke out as West Dunbartonshire recorded its highest number of suicide deaths in a decade.
In 2021, a total of 18 people, 13 males and five females, died of suspected suicide.
The newly-published figures released by Public Health Scotland also showed the region has the highest suicide rate in Scotland among women over the last four years.
Lizzi tragically lost her teenage son Lee Stuart in May 2019 and says, despite campaigning, nothing has changed in the past three years.
She said: “Eighteen local families are starting out on their journey and it’s difficult to hear because every time I hear of another suicide it brings it all back.
“There could be 100 people who are going to need help as the effect ripples across communities. We’ve seen it.
“There isn’t enough out there.
“Mental health waiting lists are long and charities are bursting at the seams because they don’t have enough donations.
“Mental health should be part of the curriculum.”
She added: “We’re three years down the line and nothing’s changed. You wonder how many more people will lose their lives until something is done.”
Lizzi has been lobbying for more mental health education in schools and previously held meetings with West Dunbartonshire Council chiefs in a bid to see what more can be done to help halt young lives being lost to suicide.
Lizzi has also told how her family were forced to travel outwith the area to seek support following the tragedy from charities in Glasgow, Wishaw and Johnstone.
The figures show an overall decline in the number of suicides nationwide, attributed to the fact that less women in Scotland died due to suicide in 2021.
However, West Dunbartonshire had the highest female suicide rate between 2017 and 2021 at 11.6 per 100,000 people.
And the figures also showed the suicide rate in Scotland’s most deprived areas remains three times as high as the wealthiest areas, a further blow for the region.
Dumbarton MSP Jackie Baillie said: “It is absolutely appalling that the number of people dying due to suspected suicide locally is on the rise and now sits at its highest level in 10 years.
“The Scottish Government needs to focus on the day job and give proper attention and investment to mental health services and serious and sustained efforts made to reduce wait times so people are not dying while they are desperately seeking treatment.”
A West Dunbartonshire Health and Social Care Partnership spokesman outlined a number of local measures, including providing suicide and self-harm training to 59 frontline staff, carers and third sector services, and specialised bereavement and loss training to 71 frontline staff with a focus on those who work with children and vulnerable groups.
He said: “We have invested in children’s mental health and wellbeing and, along with colleagues in education and our community planning partners, are working to raise suicide awareness and undertake early intervention activity. In addition, our strategy for teaching and supporting positive mental health and wellbeing for school pupils is an integral part of the curriculum for three to 18-year-olds.”
Mental Wellbeing Minister Kevin Stewart said the Scottish Government will publish a prevention strategy next month.
He said: “This will set out how the government, partners and local communities can come together to help prevent future suicides.”
