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James Donaldson on Mental Health – Here’s why suicide prevention is a worthwhile investment
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Every life lost to suicide is a tragedy.
In 2022, 6588 deaths by suicide were recorded in the UK.
Behind every suicide statistic is someone who was struggling. Perhaps the person felt that there was no hope, or maybe they couldn’t get the right help during their darkest times.
It’s been estimated that 135 people are affected every time someone takes their life. Grief can be long-lasting for families, friends and communities, and for some people the pain of loss can contribute to their own suicidal thoughts, feelings or attempts.
“The second year was a lot worse than the first year in many respects, I think because of shock. I think you start to live alongside all the mishmash of feelings and they… they don’t go way…they haven’t gone away or subsided.”
Tasha, bereaved parent
Suicides impact the whole of society.
Suicide impacts people from all walks of life. While some communities are at a higher risk, it would be hard to find a group or community which hasn’t been impacted by suicide.
When someone dies by suicide, the costs of this ripple out to society – reaching family, employment, health care, emergency services, coroners, police and more.
At Samaritans, we worked with David McDaid (Associate Professorial Research Fellow at LSE) to look at how much suicide costs across the UK. These are the first figures published on the cost of suicide in over a decade.
In 2022, suicide had an overall cost of at least £9.58 billion in the UK. This is an average of £1.46 million per suicide, while the cost of a suicide for someone aged 30-34 is £1.75 million.
The biggest cost involved in this is the ‘intangible’ cost of suicide, totaling £4.3 billion overall in the UK in 2022. This is based on the value which society places on an unexpected loss of life and the loss felt by loved ones. Costs also include the future that the person who died could have had, which they would have spent contributing to society (for example by working or volunteering).
These figures help us begin to understand just how significantly suicides impact the whole of society, and how important it is that money, resources and activities are in place to target prevention.
#James Donaldson notes: Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes. Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use. Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.#http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle Find out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundation website www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson’s latest book, #CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy
Reaching the lowest ever suicide rates needs Government investment.
We often talk about suicide prevention being everybody’s business and while we should all play our part, governments have a specific and crucial role to play in preventing suicide and the society-wide costs caused by suicide.
Suicide rates in England are as high now as they were over 20 years ago. This is unacceptable. We know what works to prevent suicide, and we’ve got a new suicide prevention strategy in England which sets out cross-government actions to save lives. This will take proper resources and funding for public health interventions, community support, mental health services and the charities who play a vital role in supporting the nation’s wellbeing. The UK Government must be ambitious and aim to reach the lowest ever suicide rates by the end of the next Parliament.
The cost of a suicide to society and to loved ones is devastating. By any measure, suicide prevention is a worthwhile investment.
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James Donaldson is a Washington State University graduate (’79). After an outstanding basketball career with WSU, he went on to play professional basketball in the NBA with the Seattle Supersonics, San Diego/L.A. Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, and Utah Jazz. He also played for several teams in the European Leagues in Spain, Italy, and Greece, and he toured with The Harlem Globetrotters to wrap up his career. James was an NBA All-Star in 1988 while playing center for the Dallas Mavericks. In 2006, James was inducted into the Pac-10 Sports Hall of Fame and also the Washington State University Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2010, James was elected as a board member for the NBA Retired Players Association.
James frequently conducts speaking engagements (motivational, inspirational, educational) for organizations, schools, and youth groups.
In 2010, James was the recipient of the NBA Legends of Basketball ABC Award, awarded for outstanding contributions in Athletics–Business–Community.
He believes in being a role model for success and professionalism to the scores of young people to whom he devotes so much of his time. He currently serves on several boards and committees and is a member of many organizations.
James believes in developing relationships that create a “Win-Win” environment for everyone involved, and in being the best he can be!
For more information about James Donaldson or to request he speak at your event, contact him at:
James Donaldson is the author of “Standing Above The Crowd” and “Celebrating Your Gift of Life” and founder of the Your Gift of Life Foundation which focuses on mental health awareness and suicide prevention, especially pertaining to our school aged children and men.
If you’re interested in having James come and speak to your group of young adults, business entrepreneurs, aspiring political and community leaders, and athletic teams, please contact him at jamesd@yourgiftoflife.org and or leave a personal message for him at 1-800-745-3161. Keep up with him and read about how he is reaching out and making a difference in the lives of so many around the world at www.yourgiftoflife.org
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