One man dies by suicide every minute of every day. That is the hard-hitting message at the centre of a powerful video released by globally renowned poet Hussain Manawer, in collaboration with cancer charity Movember, for World Suicide Prevention Day.
Manawer, who has campaigned for men’s mental health with the Samaritan’s charity and with US TV host Oprah, released the poem and video ‘YOU GOT YOURSELF’, to encourage men to become “a man of more words”.
Hussain Manawer said: ‘We are growing up at a time where there is so much uncertainty and not only that but stigma, taboo and so many other contributing factors prevent us men from speaking up about what we are going through.”
On average it is estimated around 6,000 take their lives in the UK each year, however evidence from the Samaritans charity indicates there has been an overall decline of suicide rates.
In England 7.4 per cent of suicides have fallen as the country reports 404 fewer people taking their own lives in comparison to 2019.
Despite showing a positive decline in the suicide rate, Scotland still remains particularly higher than the UK average, as 15 out of every 100,000 suffer at the hands of the mental health issue, opposed to England and Wales averaging 10 out of every 100,000.