RESEARCH INTO SUICIDES ON THE RAILWAY

RESEARCH INTO SUICIDES ON THE RAILWAY RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: may 2016 :: RMTnews 23 Suicides on the rail network have a significant impact on members. Of the estimated 6,000 suicides a year that are registered, around 4.5 per cent happen on the railway. The industry is already doing a significant amount to reduce suicides on the network but in June 2015 it sponsored research by Middlesex University and the University of Westminster with a view to answering the question “Why do people choose to take their lives on the G.B. rail network?” In January 2016 an interim report was published by the research group. Its key findings based upon questionnaires and interviews with circa 1200 vulnerable and suicidal people (some of whom had looked to take their lives on the railway) as to why they may choose the railway to take their lives were: • Perceived lethality – many believed they would certainly be killed when struck by a train • Familiarity – frequent use or living near the railway made some more aware of it as a means of lethality • Environment – privacy and ease of access. Interestingly some said they would not choose the railway for this reason because they were aware of the increased effort by rail staff to intervene in suicide attempts. The research comes to an end in October this year with the final report being shared with the industry shortly afterwards. However consideration is already being given to the interim findings particularly around ‘playing down the perceived lethality of the network’. Interestingly this is the first research of its type dedicated to the issue of suicides on the railway in this country. In their desire to learn more about this phenomenon the research team is asking railway workers who have a view on suicide prevention or an in depth knowledge of a particular location where they feel more work could be done to stop suicides to get in touch. Ian Stevens, who heads up the industry’s suicide prevention programme said that “I’m keen for as many rail staff to get involved with the research as possible. Our prevention programme is outstanding because we are all committed to it and looking for new ways to prevent suicides. “This research provides us with another opportunity to do that by drawing on the experience of our people who feel they have some understanding of the issue because of their personal experiences. In particular the researchers are looking to capture insights into the sort of behaviours that may alert you to someone contemplating suicide; the training you may have received to help manage such events; any barriers there might be to you helping someone in need; and ideas you may have about practical solutions to reduce the opportunity and incidence of attempted suicide on the railways. If you would like to share your thoughts and take part in the research an online questionnaire is available. Access to it can be gained by typing bit.ly/railwaysuicidesurvey into your browser. The information provided will be anonymous and viewed only by experienced researchers.” Ian added: “The questionnaire takes about 20 minutes to complete. This might seem like a long time but your input might save a colleague from a lifetime of trauma.” If you would like any further information about the project, please feel free to contact Emily Hawkins at emily.e.hawkins@kcl.ac.uk or Ian Noonan at ian.noonan@kcl.ac.uk. Research seeks to identify why people choose to take their lives on the railway and asks for the support of rail industry staff.