Can railway suicides be cut?

[90019]

And many other people are realistic.

A pessimist is what an optimist calls a realist.

 

[Dennis]

Let's put an end to all the mess and inconvinience of suicides, whether they happen at the multi-storey carparkm on the railways, roads or rivers and open up some walk in suicide centres, offering quick, painless and instant exit from the world and it's woes.

This could done with a free service offering a variety of means of exiting the world and should feature a well stocked leaflet rack at the entrance detailing options such as lethal injection and electrocution together with contact details for the Samaritans.

I think such facilities exist in some European countries; when was the last time it was reported on this forum that train services in Zurich were disrupted due to suicide?

 

[O L Leigh]

Oh if it was only that easy.

With 25 years as mental health nurse I can speak as with experience on this subject. Suicide is often difficult to predict, and ironically its not those who have no money or happiness who are most likely to jump under a train.

Its those with implusive natures and psychotic illnesses who are most likely to choose to step in front of a train or a road vehicle. There area also those who are under the influnence of substances either drugs or alcohol who have sometimes fallen foul of the train and have a morbid (long term) voicing of self harm thoughts, yet have no intention to actually carry out the act until the a misjudgement is made of the speed of the approaching train.

I once worked with a chap who sat on the platform edge and lost both his legs when the argument with a class 90 went too far. Eventually died of liver failure.

It is commments and little understanding of those with long term conditions such as schizophrenia that create the hysterical reaction in the media and general public every time a person with mental health problems commits a serious offence or kills themselves.

Thank you for sharing your professional insight. Your views really could do with being in the spotlight a little more, but unfortunately this forum is full of "experts" with ready solutions.

O L Leigh

 

[DaveNewcastle]

The Original Post was triggerred by a BBC news item, which I guess was the BBC's response to this Network Rail Press Release a few days earlier (6th Jan).
Its headed "SAMARITANS AND NETWORK RAIL JOIN FORCES TO REDUCE SUICIDE ON THE RAILWAYS" and it is hard to see how journalists and news rooms would use the Release - I guess we should be pleased the BBC at least did something with it rather than shy away from the subject.
I for one, feel it is a positive move in this very tricky area, for all concerned.

 

[jon0844]

There are certain times of the year when you're likely to get sections of the media interested in anything.

Post-Christmas, the summer months.. all good times to help them fill column inches with surveys, non-stories and the like. A good PR will know how to pitch stories at these times. The same applies to valid stories, but ones the press wouldn't normally write about and perceive to be suitable only for local press, local radio etc.