This is despite the fact that suicide is the leading cause of death for 15 - 34-year-olds in the UK

Tragically, 6,929 young adults have taken their own lives over the past decade*.

A new report from suicide prevention charity, Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), reveals how parents and carers are struggling to have potentially life-saving conversations

Today, CALM has unveiled a powerful new installation of thousands of birthday balloons - each one representing the age a real young person never did not reach due to them taking their own life

This World Suicide Prevention Day (10th Sept), CALM has launched the CALM C.A.R.E. Kit, an evolving, free online resource which provides adults with practical tools around talking about suicide with a young person

Shirley Ballas, Paige Turley and Jamie Lang have joined the campaign to help end youth suicide

The campaign has been made possible by funding from the Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation

Monday 9th September 2024, LONDON: Almost two-fifths (37%) of parents or carers of 16-23-year-olds have discussed the topic of sex and relationships with a child or young person in the past 12 months, whereas only one-fifth (21%) have discussed the topic of suicide2, reveals suicide prevention charity Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), as part of a new national campaign aiming to tackle youth suicide in the UK.

Tragically, suicide is now the leading cause of death for young people aged 15-34 in the UK**, with new data from CALM revealing that two-fifths (39%) of young people aged between 18-34 have experienced a mental health crisis or suicidal thoughts over the past five years3. CALM’s new report suggests that parents and trusted adults are struggling to open up conversations about suicide prevention with children or young adults in their care at a time when they are needed most.

Conversely, over half (51%) of young people (18-34-year-olds) say they would avoid speaking to a parent or trusted adult for help with a mental health crisis or suicidal thoughts as they don’t want to worry them - whereas almost three fifths (59%%) of young people think somebody closer to their age, such as a friend or sibling, would better understand their struggles4.

To help highlight the issue, CALM has today unveiled a powerful and emotive installation at Westfield, London, featuring 6,929 birthday balloons - each one representing a real young life lost to suicide and a birthday that person never reached. Made possible by funding from the Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation, the 5990 cubic metres (13m high, 36cm long, 12.8m wide) 5990 cubic metres of colourful balloons, usually symbolic of joy and hope, serve as a stark reminder of the reality of youth suicide in the UK and the enormity of the lost potential. The installation will be supported by a campaign visible across the UK featuring stories of real young people lost to suicide.

Simon Gunning, CEO of CALM, said, “People worry mentioning the ‘S’ word puts the thought in their loved ones' minds. We know from our extensive work in the area that the opposite is true. Talking about suicide with young people in the right way and simply saying that word, whether they’re doing fine or whether they’re at crisis point, is proven to be a powerful suicide prevention tool.

We have to remove the stigma and start talking - if we don’t, more young people will die or carry these damaging behaviours into adulthood. The CALM C.A.R.E kit shows you how to break the cycle and foster positive conversations around mental health and suicide prevention”.

Tarsem Dhaliwal, Group Chief Executive of Iceland Foods and Trustee of Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation said: “Suicide amongst young people is a worsening epidemic in the UK and we need to get as many people as possible aware and involved to help combat it, which is what we hope to achieve with the poignant Missed Birthdays installation.

“We know that it can be a difficult topic to discuss

but the most effective way to stop these preventable deaths it is to be proactive. CALM, with the support of Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation, is offering trusted adults invaluable support to help start the conversation and we’re glad to be a part of making that possible.”

New YouGov research commissioned by CALM suggests parents and carers are cautious of the stigma that still surrounds the topic of suicide, with a fifth (19%) claiming they worry about putting ideas in their child’s head5.

The research also reveals that for parents and carers in the UK, suicide is the sensitive topic that they feel the least confident discussing1, with only 15% of them having discussed the topic of suicide with a child or young adult they’re responsible for. 40% of parents of children aged 16-23 have discussed mental health crises with their child or a child they are responsible for over the past twelve months, whereas nearly half that amount (21%) have discussed the topic of suicide 6.

This comes as two-fifths (41%) of parents or carers of children aged 16-23 admit that they either wouldn’t know who or where to turn to or even know where to begin in trying to deal with the issue of a child or young person in their care saying they had suicidal thoughts7.

That’s why CALM has developed the C.A.R.E. kit specifically to support trusted adults in having conversations with young people aged 15-24, to help end youth suicide. Tailored guides have been designed to work across the full continuum of need, all the way from speaking to a young person who is feeling fine to intervening in a crisis. This evolving resource will sit alongside the charity’s existing suicide prevention resources at thecalmzone.net The CALM C.A.R.E kit is available for free at thecalmzone.net. You can sign up to CALM’s newsletter to have support and content sent directly to your phone.

Shirley Ballas, Paige Turley and Jamie Laing have joined the campaign to share the story of a young person they lost to suicide.

Paige Turley, TV personality, said: “Tragically, I lost my dear friend, Jamie, in 2022 when he was just 20 years old. He had experienced a long battle with mental health, and words can’t describe the hole he left in the lives of his family and friends. Nothing can prepare you for the moment when you find out the news of a loved one’s passing to suicide. Jamie never saw his 21st birthday - I know that we would have had the best time celebrating with him, as it’s such a milestone age. CALM’s campaign really shines a light on this urgent issue, and is a reminder that we need to be opening up conversations with young people more often - I really hope that’s what people take away from this installation”.

For more information on the campaign or for practical advice on how to take action visit thecalmzone.net. You can also follow CALM on Twitter | Instagram | TikTok

ENDS

Acknowledgements: This campaign was made possible by funding from Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation. JCDecaux, Bauer, Reach, Outernet, Mail Metro, Evening Standard, News UK, Clear Channel, Guardian and Ocean Outdoor are all backing the cause, with channel specific and locally targeted messaging to deliver maximum impact and relevance.

From Wed 11th Sept, the installation will be donated to charity Children's Scrap Project who will reuse the balloons for a range of arts and crafts projects, including: children's workshops, drama projects, back drops, displays, collage, sensory rooms, holistic play and a variety of educational projects.

Consumer research

234567 All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 4234 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 19th - 21st August 2024. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).

1For the purpose of this survey, sensitive issues are defined as:

Suicide - 53%

Sex and relationships - 56%

Sexuality - 56%

Mental health crisis - 60%

Money troubles - 61%

Negative social media experiences - 62%

Alcohol and drug misuse - 62%

Family disagreements - 63%

Loneliness - 64%

Bullying - 67%

External data

*Statistics based on latest available data taken between 2012 - 2022.

**Office for National Statistics, deaths registered as suicides in England and Wales for the year 2021 (https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/suicide-women-rates-young-women-b2266064.html)

ABOUT Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM)

Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) stands united against suicide with everyone in the UK. The charity leads its campaign through vital, life-saving support, impactful conversations, and collective action. Our helpline team are there for people who can’t see a way forward, people who have lost someone to suicide, and people who are worried about friends or loved ones. Conversations are available over the phone, online and through WhatsApp.

To find out more about CALM, our services or for support and advice visit thecalmzone.net

Charity Reg No: 1110621 & Scot SC044347

About Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation (IFCF)

IFCF has raised £37 million to date for our charity partners. Our primary focus is on projects within four core areas: Dementia, Environment, Wellbeing and Children. Further details can be found on our website www.ifcf.org.uk.

Examples of our partnerships include £10m to help fund the new groundbreaking UK Dementia Research Institute opening in London in 2024, over £5m to Alzheimer’s Research UK, £1.5m Alzheimer’s Society and over £1 million to The National Brain Appeal – to help create the world’s first Rare Dementia Support Centre.

We have co developed resources with The UK Sepsis Trust to raise vital awareness of Sepsis symptoms, resources now used by companies and schools throughout the UK. IFCF donated £1m to Prostate Cancer UK and recently worked with them to promote their online 30 second risk checker to the public. We have also given over £6m to children’s charities, our recent Action for Children partnership provided urgent support to children in some of the most challenging circumstances.

IFCF inspired a million hours of nature engagement for children in the UK through our Backyard Nature campaign. We fund the SAS Million Mile Clean, seeing thousands of volunteers clean our beaches, rivers and urban areas.

IFCF’s social channels include:

Twitter: @IcelandCharity

Instagram: @icelandcharity

Facebook: @Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation

LinkedIn: @Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation

CALM Firebreak Campaign - YouGov Consumer Research

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