Barnet Council’s Suicide Prevention campaign which ‘saved lives’ could work across London

Aimed at working-aged men, the campaign promoted the use of mental health and support services

A community campaign to prevent suicides which possibly helped to save lives in Barnet borough could be rolled out across London.

Barnet Council’s Suicide Prevention campaign is estimated to have saved between six to nine lives over a nine-month period and Middlesex University academics who evaluated the campaign believe it could be expanded across London.

Targeted at working-aged men, the campaign looked to increase the use of mental health and support services through:

• promoting the ‘Stay Alive’ app and signposting men to local and national support services
• a large scale digital and outdoor media campaign, urging residents to download the Stay Alive app for themselves and others
• community outreach targeting male-dominated industries, to raise awareness of mental health support and suicide prevention, and encouraging attendees to undertake the Zero Suicide Alliance training
• the first face-to-face “Andy’s Man Club” peer-to-peer support group in the borough to provide a space for men to speak openly about their mental health.

During the campaign, Stay Alive app promotion reached more than 100,000 people in Barnet and led to a 27% increase in users in London. There were more people using local Barnet resources on the app and positive feedback from Andy’s Man Club attendees. 

There was a sizable drop in suspected suicides during the campaign from October to December 2021 and the following six months with a potential six to nine lives saved between October 2021 and June 2022, which represents a decline of 20% on yearly suspected suicides.

An evaluation of the campaign concluded ‘a local, relatively inexpensive community-based campaign can be effective in reducing suspected suicides’.

Lisa Marzano, Professor of Psychology at Middlesex University who co-led the evaluation, said: “Our research suggests that cost-effective, local campaigns can help to reduce suicides and there is certainly the potential to expand these campaigns across London. This campaign was not just designed to reach people in crisis but also their friends, loved ones and those around them. Suicide prevention campaigns can’t just rely on people reaching out for help, we must reach in as well and encourage people to look out for others.”

Following on from the campaign, NHS North Central London Integrated Care System (ICS) which includes Barnet, Enfield, Camden, Haringey and Islington, has actively been promoting the Stay Alive app.

Joe Davies, Suicide Prevention Programme Manager for North Central London ICS, said “It is great to build on the great work that Barnet colleagues have conducted in the past few years. Knowing that campaigns work at this level and have the potential to save lives gives us such a real opportunity to reduce suicides locally.”

“As someone deeply committed to suicide prevention in Barnet, I’m incredibly proud of our award-winning campaign and how community-led initiatives can make a tangible difference in the local community.  Whether it’s men opening up at Andy’s Man Club or downloading the Stay Alive app because a friend recommended it, that’s where change begins. 

“This initiative has already inspired a similar campaign across North Central London, and I hope its ripple effect continues around London and beyond. We’re not only saving lives; we’re building a culture where it’s okay to talk, to ask for help, and to look out for one another.”

Seher Kayikci, Suicide Prevention Lead at Barnet Council

Councillor Alison Moore, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health at Barnet Council, said: “I know just how much hard work has gone into this campaign and making sure it can reach as many people in Barnet who need help as possible, and I’m incredibly proud of everyone who has played their part.

“The significant and positive impact of this community-led project really demonstrates the importance and value of effective partnership working at a local level. It is really encouraging that so many people in Barnet have already been using the local resources on the Stay Alive app, particularly as it’s often that first step in reaching out for help and finding someone is there to listen.”

The evaluation - Can a local low-budget intervention make a difference to suicide rates? Evaluating the effectiveness of the Barnet (London) suicide prevention campaign using real-time suspected suicide data – has been co-authored by Prof Marzano and Dr Bastien Chabé-Ferret, a Senior Lecturer in Economics at Middlesex University. It has been peer reviewed and published in the BMC Public Health Journal. 

Download the Stay Alive app and find out more about Andy’s Man Club.

According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in 2024 there were 6,190 suicides registered in England and Wales and the male suicide rate was 17.6 per 100,000, compared to a female suicide rate of 5.7 per 100,000. However suicide is largely preventable.

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Photo by Rene Böhmer on Unsplash