Spot the signs: Hospitality Action’s guide to suicide prevention

The Staff Canteen

To mark World Mental Health Awareness Day, industry charity Hospitality Action is launching a campaign to increase awareness of mental health issues and engage a conversation with professionals in the industry about how to cope with them. 

The charity has published a help-sheet to enable people to identify suicide risk in themselves and others, as well as information on how best to address it. 

The guide provides details on who is most at risk, how to provide support to people at risk of self-harm, explaining what the common thought mechanisms are and how to implement prevention strategies. 

For more information,

visit Hospitality Action @ https://www.hospitalityaction.org.uk/get-help/support-services/ 

24-hour support is available on 

0808 802 2111

hospitality action logo w

In addition to the help-sheet, HA is introducing a half-day course for managers, HR as well as health and safety professionals in order to equip them with the necessary knowledge for support, signposting and mental health safeguarding.

How should you deal with suicide risk and what are the warning signs?

Differentiating between suicidal thoughts and concrete plans to act upon them, the guide sets out the following warning signs to look out for: 

1- Making concrete plans

Such as planning the act of ending one's life, but not only: writing a will, taking out life insurance and acts of preparation for ending one's life.

2 - Feeling that others will be better off without you

3 - Marked changes in behaviour 

Which could be a state of calm from having made the decision to end one's life, or visible withdrawal 

4 - Talking about suicide

Whether they reflect a desire to talk about one's feelings or intentions to act, threats of suicide shouldn't be taken lightly. 

Helpful prevention strategies

1- Seek external support 

Whether it is for yourself or someone else, it is crucial that you ask for professional help to address suicide risk. From your GP to The Samaritans, Hospitality Action, there are many outlets to seek advice from. 

2- Address risky behaviours 

Habits or addictions can severely increase suicide risks and should also be taken seriously. Assistance can be sought from various organisations, but if in doubt, visiting a general practitioner is a good place to start. 

3 - Address underlying issues 

Even if an imminent suicide risk appears to have subsided, dealing with the root causes can mean the difference between them re-emerging at a later date, and helping yourself or someone else lead a better life. 

In these challenging times…

The Staff Canteen team are taking a different approach to keeping our website independent and delivering content free from commercial influence. Our Editorial team have a critical role to play in informing and supporting our audience in a balanced way. We would never put up a paywall  – The Staff Canteen is open to all and we want to keep bringing you the content you want; more from younger chefs, more on mental health, more tips and industry knowledge, more recipes and more videos. We need your support right now, more than ever, to keep The Staff Canteen active. Without your financial contributions this would not be possible.

Over the last 16 years, The Staff Canteen has built what has become the go-to platform for chefs and hospitality professionals. As members and visitors, your daily support has made The Staff Canteen what it is today. Our features and videos from the world’s biggest name chefs are something we are proud of. We have over 560,000 followers across Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and other social channels, each connecting with chefs across the world. Our editorial and social media team are creating and delivering engaging content every day, to support you and the whole sector - we want to do more for you.

A single coffee is more than £2, a beer is £4.50 and a large glass of wine can be £6 or more.

Support The Staff Canteen from as little as £1 today. Thank you.

The Staff Canteen

The Staff Canteen

Editor 10th October 2019

Spot the signs: Hospitality Action’s guide to suicide prevention