Policies, strategies, frameworks and resources relating to suicide prevention, self-harm and common mental health problems include:
choose life [external site] has plenty of resources and information, including:
There is also a programme of research and evaluation to support Choose Life. The programme has resulted in reports such as:
Healthy Reading Programme [external site]Healthy reading increases the availability of support, information and self-help which can improve mental health and well-being for many people.SUPPORT Project: Reducing the prevalence of suicide [external site]The European Pact for Mental Health and Well-being covers five thematic areas in mental health. Within these, common horizontal threads ensure comparability and compatibility between actions.
Other policies and resources include:
Self-harm policy and resources The Scottish Government made a commitment in Towards a Mentally Flourishing Scotland: Policy and Action Plan 2009-11 to improve the knowledge and understanding of self-harm in Scotland and to prepare an appropriate response. In March 2011 they published Responding to Self-Harm in Scotland Final Report: Mapping Out the Next Stage of Activity in Developing Services and Health Improvement Approaches. Several national organisations such as Penumbra [external site], Children 1st [external site], see me... [external site] and Barnardos [external site] have undertaken projects to address self-harm. Also see choose life [external site] for further information, links and resources. FirstSigns [external site] FirstSigns is a voluntary organisation that raises awareness about the syndrome of self injury in the UK and beyond. Managing Self Harm: A Pack for People Working with Individuals that Self-Harm [external site] A flexible training pack that provides trainers with all the resources required to train staff with very different levels of knowledge, skills and experience of working with self-harm. National Self Harm Network [external site] National Self Harm Network provides information and support for people who self-harm. Mind [external site] Information resource for young people who self-harm, their friends and families, and for professionals working with them. Self-harm: A Resource Pack [external site] A comprehensive pack of materials on self-harm. Self-harm: Management and prevention of self harm in primary and secondary care [external site] Guidelines which make recommendations for the physical, psychological and social assessment and treatment of people in primary and secondary care in the first 48 hours after having self-harmed. Talking about self-harm [external site] (2009) A booklet aimed at raising awareness of self-harm among the general population, which is part of NHS Health Scotland’s 'Talking about' series.