A woman whose son took her own life has called on men to speak out about their mental health – as a charity set up in his memory celebrated its first anniversary in London.
Clare Milford Haven lost her son James, 21, to suicide in 2006. He had told clinicians he was experiencing suicidal thoughts days before his death – but was sent to A&E as a low priority.
The family set up James’ Place in 2018 and opened a centre in Moorgate last year to provide free, life-saving treatment to men in a suicidal crisis.
Figures released by the charity show it has treated 245 men in the capital since being opened by the Prince of Wales.
Men are referred for treatment through A&E, student counselling services and self-referrals and receive an appointment with a therapist within 48 hours. They go on to have between 6-8 sessions in a welcoming, non-clinical setting.
Ms Milford Haven told the Standard: “There were windows of opportunity in which James could have been saved, and after his death I kept thinking about the kind of service he would have needed.
“What we know is that men don’t really like accessing help, as they see it as weakness. We aimed to create an environment which men can feel comfortable in.”
The majority of men who access help at James’ Place do not have a serious condition that requires psychiatric assistance, such as schizophrenia. Rather, it seeks to help men to deescalate a situational mental health crisis that might be brought on by life events.
“This centre is all about giving back the hope that has been lost. Suicide is devastating to friends, families and colleagues,” Ms Milford Haven added.
Suicide is the single leading cause of death for men under the age of 50. Men are also three times more likely than women to die by suicide.
This centre is all about giving back the hope that has been lost
Dan Bracken, who runs the London centre, said the service “fills a gap” for men in a suicidal crisis.
Many men are forced to endure long waits for treatment in A&E, which can be a frightening environment, he said.
“While the NHS can offer psychiatric care, we are there for men who just need a calm space to talk through why they are in a crisis.
“We want this to be somewhere that is easy to access and somewhere they want to come back to.”
James’ Place is currently fundraising for £10 million to open and run three new centres in Bristol, Birmingham, and Newcastle as well as sustain its existing centres over the next three years.
This means that half the male population will be within two hours of a James’ Place, according to the charity.
Alex* received treatment at James’ Place in London last year after experiencing a suicidal crisis. He had suffered from months of debilitating anxiety and depression related to his career.
“I wasn’t resting, and relying on alcohol and weed to cope,” he told the Standard. “I had hit a wall and began to develop a disassociative disorder to the extent that I didn’t feel human, which made me retreat more and more into myself. Then I would experience bursts of anger on a daily basis.”
Alex later began to experience suicidal thoughts and started researching ways to end his life. He was referred to James’ Place after undergoing an assessment at the Royal Free hospital.
“The therapist at James’ Place really seemed to understand my problems. I had been taught to believe that I was complaining about nothing as I supposedly had this brilliant life, so for the first time I didn’t feel like I was wasting someone’s time by saying that I was unhappy.”
Men who are in suicidal crisis in London can seek support from James’ Place by contacting them directly Monday-Friday from 9:30am-5:30pm. Visit www.jamesplace.org.uk for more information.
*Name changed to protect identity
