Alexandria mum whose son took own life hits out at rise in suicide deaths

dailyrecord.co.uk:

An Alexandria mum whose 17-year-old son took his own life has made a renewed plea for local support services as new “appalling” figures were revealed.

Lizzi Stuart spoke out as West Dunbartonshire recorded its highest number of suicide deaths in a decade. In 2021, a total of 18 people, 13 males and five females, died of suspected suicide.The newly-published figures released by Public Health Scotland also showed the region has the highest suicide rate in Scotland among women over the last four years.Lizzi tragically lost her teenage son Lee Stuart in May 2019 and says, despite campaigning, nothing has changed in the past three years.She said: “Eighteen local families are starting out on their journey and it’s difficult to hear because every time I hear of another suicide it brings it all back.“There could be 100 people who are going to need help as the effect ripples across communities.

We’ve seen it.“There isn’t enough out there.“Mental health waiting lists are long and charities are bursting at the seams because they don’t have enough donations.“Mental health should be part of the curriculum.”She added: “We’re three years down the line and nothing’s changed.

You wonder how many more people will lose their lives until something is done.”Lizzi has been lobbying for more mental health education in schools and previously held meetings with West Dunbartonshire Council chiefs in a bid to see what more can be done to help halt young lives being lost to suicide.Lizzi has also told how her family were forced to travel outwith the area to seek support following the tragedy from charities in Glasgow, Wishaw and Johnstone.The figures show an overall decline in the number of suicides nationwide, attributed to the fact that less