Guernsey suicide figures are substantially higher than both Jersey and the UK
A suicide support conference at St Peter Port is aiming to reduce Guernsey's substantially high suicide rate.
The two-day conference, organised by Talking Benches, Guernsey Mind, and Guernsey Samaritans, began today (7 March).
It aims to educate the island's population on how it can make a difference when it comes to suicide.
Guernsey Mind's chief executive Jo Cottell, said: "I couldn't say why the numbers are higher [in Guernsey] but what we do need is to carry on the conversations on death and carry on talking.
"That's why conferences like this are so important for us as an island and a community."
According to the most recent suicide rates per 100,000 people in 2021, Guernsey remains the highest over Jersey and the UK:
Talking Benches have been installed around the island to give people a safe space to speak about their issues.
Suicide bereavement specialist Angela Samata acknowledged it's a sign Guernsey is moving in the right direction.
She explained: "I know [Guernsey] has the talking benches which are such a good idea and came from a place of pain from people who had experienced bereavement by suicide."
Lara Turner wishes more was done to help her father, Barry Jameson, who took his own life two years ago.
Lara said: "They say when you lose someone, you lose part of yourself; I feel I still haven't found my new self yet so you just carry on going - you have this huge void.
"With the mental health service, he took his own life on the Sunday and he was due an appointment on the Monday.
"They'd left him 2 weeks, even though he was classed as high risk because they wanted him to open up more with them.
"There is plenty of time to get people help. It's [getting people who are thinking about suicide] feeling that they can open up to somebody and speak about how they are feeling so it doesn't get to that stage."
Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our podcast to find out What You Need To Know...