THE West Midlands should be setting itself a target of zero suicides every year, according to the Combined Authority’s mental health chief.

Speaking ahead of next month’s ‘Walking out of Darkness’ event to help raise awareness and to remember the victims of suicide, Sean Russell says that “every loss of life is one too many.”

Last year there were 477 suicides in the West Midlands, a huge rise from ten years beforehand when just 245 deaths were recorded from suicide in 2007.

As part of its five-year plan, the NHS has set itself the target of reducing the number of suicides by ten per cent each year.

However Russell, who also works as a police officer, says that such a target isn’t ambitious enough.

“The five year plan for mental health, which is the NHS standard, talked about a 10 per cent reduction,” he said.

“And I’ve said I don’t think that’s audacious enough. And I say let’s push for zero.

“It’s going to take us a long time to get there, we might not ever get there, but if I don’t push for zero, I’m not happy that reducing that number by 48 is enough.

“Because if I’m the police officer who’s got to go and speak to the family of number 49, I don’t think that’s right. You can’t say ‘well actually we hit our target but unfortunately we weren’t there for your son, or daughter, or father, or mother or sister or husband or wife, or whatever it is.

“I can’t live with myself that way. So for me let’s be audacious and push it, and we will continue to do that.”

Appointed as implementation director for the mental health commission back in 2016, Mr Russell says that bringing suicide rates down has always been near the top of his agenda.

And he’s encouraging people across the region to take part in next month’s ‘Walk out of Darkness’, an event which will see people walk through the centre of Birmingham to raise awareness of suicide.

Founded in 2014, the event encourages people to “to walk with your family, friends and work colleagues; showing support for those suffering, helping end the stigma, raising mental health awareness and creating zero suicide communities across the country; plus fundraising for local and regional charities.”

And Russell thinks events like this are vital to help raise awareness, so that the 477 who took their own lives last year don’t become just another number.

“On the 7th of October this year we’ve got the ‘Walking out of Darkness’ event, which takes place in Birmingham city centre. It’s a walk of around six miles around the canal network which finishes off in Victoria Square,” he said.

“And that’s about suicide prevention, and about mental health and wellness.

“Because it’s interesting. We’ve got the national arboretum in the West Midlands for fallen servicemen that we think about on remembrance day, we’ve got lots of days around mental health and mental health awareness, but do we ever remember the people who have taken their own lives?

“And actually every suicide costs the economy about £1.6 million, it now impacts on about 131 people, who will all be touched by the death of that individual. Because you’ll see it on social media, you see it at work, you see it at school, whatever it is.

“And we are trying to eliminate that down to zero.

“Now I don’t want to put monetary terms to a suicide, at all, because the human costs is huge. But if people only see the figure, then that £1.6 million is significant.”

The ‘Walk out of Darkness’ takes place on October 7.