A former journalist who reported on stories across the world and co-founder of a charity set up to prevent suicide is set to host a conference next month.
Mike McCarthy, one of the founders of the Baton of Hope charity will host a conference in Sheffield on May 16. He lost his 31-year-old son Ross to suicide in February 2021 and has made it his mission to change the discourse on the subject.
The conference is a follow-up to the UK’s biggest suicide prevention and awareness initiative, which visited 12 cities in 12 days.
The charity wants to support open conversation, destigmatise the subject and break down barriers related to the language used when discussing suicide.
Speakers at the event include mental health campaigner Alastair Campbell and Professor Rory O’Connor, President of the International Association for Suicide Prevention.
Mr McCarthy’s inspiration to start the Baton of Hope was to honour Ross’ final wish.
He said: “Ross left us a farewell letter, and one of the things he said was, ‘Please fight for mental health, the support is just not there’.”
Ross took his own life after a long battle with depression- just two weeks before his death he was told he faced a six month waiting list for therapy.
Mr McCarthy, who wants to change the way suicide is framed in language, formed the charity with fellow grieving father Steve Phillip who also lost his son, Jordan, to suicide.
He said the phrase ‘committed suicide’ wrongly implies that suicide is a crime and a conscious choice.
“It was only when I lost my son that I realised how hurtful it is when you hear the phrase, because Ross was many things, but he wasn’t a criminal.”
The rate of suicide in the UK has remained stagnant over the past 15 years; it remains the biggest killer of men under 50 and women under 35.
“If this was a physical illness, maybe we would treat it with a little more urgency. We would spend more money on research, there would be more coverage in the media,” said Mr McCarthy.
Men’s mental health and suicide rates are critical concerns in the UK, with approximately three quarters of all suicides being male.
Mr McCarthy believes that societal attitudes towards masculinity play a significant role in preventing men seeking help and speaking up about their suicidal thoughts.
“Language such as ‘man up’ basically translates to ‘bottle it up’.
“Suicide affects both genders but men in particular need to open up about their emotions otherwise this tragedy is going to continue,” he added.
“Nobody is immune to suicide.”
For more information and for tickets for the conference, visit the Baton of Hope website.