National Grief Awareness Day 2024: Embracing Compassion and Understanding

Content warning: This post talks about grief and suicide.

· Mental health awareness,Suicide,People first organisations

On August 30th, we observe National Grief Awareness Day, a day dedicated to acknowledging the profound impact of grief and the importance of supporting those who are navigating through it. Grief is a universal experience, yet it is deeply personal and unique to each individual.

Grief Awareness Day reminds us to extend empathy and compassion to those around us who may be silently struggling.

Grief doesn't care what job you do, how old or young you are, what your race, faith or belief system is - it impacts us all at some point in our lives.

Whether it’s the loss of a loved one, a job, or any significant life change, grief can manifest in many forms and affect us in ways we might not always recognise.

Let’s take this opportunity to:

  • Listen without judgment to those who need to share their stories.
  • Support friends, family, and colleagues who are grieving by offering a helping hand or a kind word.
  • Educate ourselves about the grieving process to better understand and assist those in need.

Sometimes in our lives we may experience grief due to the loss of someone as a result of suicide. What do we know about the societal impact of suicide?

Important Statistics:

  • In 2022, there were 5,642 suicides registered in England and Wales, equivalent to an age-standardised mortality rate of 10.7 deaths per 100,000 people (1)
  • Around three-quarters of suicides registered in 2022 were males (4,179 deaths; 74.1%) (1)
  • The highest suicide rate for females was among those aged 50 to 54 years (7.8 deaths per 100,000) (1)
  • London had the lowest suicide rate of any region in England (7.0 deaths per 100,000), while the North East had the highest (12.8 deaths per 100,000) (1)

 

The impact of such a loss from suicide has a ripple effect that can start from the first responders, or the police, the family, friends, work colleagues, out into the community and even wider in some cases. We talk about this during our Suicide First Aid (SFA) UK ® training.

By fostering a culture of empathy and understanding, we can help create a supportive environment where individuals feel safe to express their grief and begin their healing journey.

Getting support - if this post has impacted in anyway, because of your own lived experience of the loss of a loved one or someone close to you, there is support available.

Where to find support:

Chasing the Stigma support app Hub of Hope that directs you to all support available in your local area as well as Nationally.

Samaritans Call: 116123 or email: jo@samaritans.org

Shout UK Text: 85258

Cruse Bereavement Support Call: 0808 808 1677

Child Bereavement UK Call: 0800 02 888 40

Suicide&Co email: info@suicideandco.org

SoBS Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide) National Support Line Call: 0300 111 5065

#GriefAwarenessDay #SupportEachOther #Empathy #MentalHealth

References:

1: ONS - Suicides in England and Wales: 2022 registrations

2: National Grief Awareness Day – August 30, 2024

3: National Grief Awareness Day – August 30, 2024