Male childlessness and suicide risk is one of the topics set to be discussed at the next Suicide Prevention Advisory Network (SPAN) meeting, along with self-harm and suicide in the older population.
The agenda has now been finalised for the next SPAN meeting – the last one of 2024 – which will take place on Tuesday November 28th from 1pm to 4pm.
The online, quarterly, learning forum hears from guest speakers across three hours who share latest findings or information with the aim of sparking more action and awareness on suicide prevention in West Yorkshire.
First on the agenda at November’s meeting will be Dr Robin Hadley, an expert in male ‘involuntary childlessness’ - where men are childless not through choice but circumstance.
He will discuss how this impacts on an individual’s mental health and affects suicide risk.
Dr Hadley, who is the author of the recently-published book ‘How is a man supposed to be a man? Male childlessness – a life course disrupted,’ said the talk will be “an exploration of the impact of childlessness on men’s attitudes and behaviours”.
He added: “Parenthood is a highly-regarded socio-cultural status that gives rights, roles and identity. Not filling that ‘natural’ and expected way-of-being can have serious implications for individuals’ mental and physical health.
“Most studies on childlessness focus on women; consequently, childless men are a hidden and unreported group.”
His talk will be followed by Alison Iliff, health and wellbeing programme lead for North East and Yorkshire at the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID), Department of Health and Social Care, who will focus on suicide and self-harm in older adults, highlighting the continuing risk of suicide in later life.
She will be supported by Dr Sara Humphrey, a GP with special interest in older people and associate clinical director for frailty/dementia and LD at Bradford District and Craven Health and Care Partnership, and will also talk about the publication of a new resource which aims to help prevent suicide in care home settings.
Final speaker of the afternoon will be Jenny Groves, CEO and founder of the charity Battle Scars who will host a talk entitled ‘Does self-harm link to suicide’, sharing her thoughts on the intricate relationship between the two.
To attend the meeting, and sign up for future invites, take a look at our Suicide Prevention Champions page.
By becoming a Suicide Prevention Champion, you can choose to receive meeting invites as well as a monthly newsletter sharing updates on suicide prevention work and resources in West Yorkshire.
Our campaign urges everyone to sign up and join our mission to lower the suicide rates in West Yorkshire.
Signing up is quick and simple, via an online form.
Visit https://suicidepreventionwestyorkshire.co.uk/becomeachampion.
For any more information on the meeting, contact joanna.wardill@nhs.net.