MPs to hear how talking can cut male suicide rates

MPs will be told of the importance of talking to each other in an attempt to reduce the rate of suicide among men later.

Members of the peer-support network Andy's Man Club in South Yorkshire have been invited to parliament to for a club-style session talk about their lives and work to male MPs.

Men are three times more likely to take their own lives than women, according to official figures.

Rother Valley Labour MP Jake Richards and his fellow MP Josh MacAlister, who represents Whitehaven and Workington, will co-host the information event for elected members.

The event is a chance for people who have had their own mental health struggles to tell male MPs what happened to them, and to speak about how peer support has helped them, and in turn how they have helped other men.

One of those attending the event is Ian Watson, a member of Andy's Man Club in Maltby.

He said the support from MPs like Mr Richards was invaluable

Mr Watson said the MP had visited a club meeting to hear first-hand from the men involved about their experiences and the benefits they had taken from the gathering ahead of today's event.

Mr Watson said the loss of a close friend to suicide was difficult to deal with and prompted him to attend a group meeting.

"I sat there with my head down for most of the time," he said.

"Eventually you say something and you look round and people are just there nodding, they've been there or understand what you're going through."

He said when he left it had felt like someone had "just put their arms out and lifted all the weight off my shoulders".

Mr Watson said men need to be encouraged to speak up and compared it to a vent being needed on a pressure cooker.

He said he hoped that other MPs would highlight peer-support groups in their areas to prompt more men to speak up about their feelings, rather than bottling up their troubles.

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