Breaking the Silence webinar: Conversations about mental health and suicide prevention

11 September 2024

Breaking the Silence webinar was hosted by Wellbeing leads, Hayley Aley and Paul Williams, who were joined by Dr Jess Miller of Cambridge University and Dan Lever, Branch Secretary of Cheshire Police Federation.

The event coincided with World Suicide Prevention Day (10 September) and also provided a platform to promote PFEW’s #AskTwice campaign, which you can find more details on below.

They were joined by Cheshire Police Federation Branch Chair and Equality Lead, Dan Lever, and Dr Jess Miller, principal investigator at the Department of Sociology, University of Cambridge, and author of The Policing Mind.

Leading by example, Dan Lever opened up to Paul and Hayley about his experience of poor mental health and why, as a cop, he felt extreme pressure to bottle up his thoughts and his feelings. Dan discussed the fears he had that prevented him from seeking help and how he feared his ability to do his job would come under question if he admitted to his struggles. The stigma Dan feared was a big hurdle, especially as a male cop. He didn’t want to admit to being ‘that person’ in policing.

But thankfully Dan’s fears proved unfounded. Taking the first step was the hardest part, but once he had done so and started those conversations, the pathways and services available to help started to open up and he began to see a way through.

He wouldn’t want to go through that period again but having lived that experience he has the understanding of what people are going through and can offer support in his role as Federation rep in a way that he was previously unable to.

His lasting advice is to seek help as soon as possible – the longer you leave it the harder it becomes. Seek help, speak up and do not remain silent.

Dr Jess Miller has spent 14 years researching police mental health and through this and her work with The Job and The Life survey she understands suicide ideation is something that is too often ignored within policing and used her time to address suicide ideation in policing.

Conversations about, and attitudes toward, mental health awareness have, she is aware, vastly improved, but Dr Miller explained conversations need to move beyond awareness and into actionable proactive understandings of suicide within policing.

With a focus on understanding suicide ideation, Dr Miller noted by the nature of working in policing, officers witness other’s suicide ideation, either complete or incomplete, and then as a consequence often struggle to understand whether their thoughts/anxieties over these stem from their identity as a cop, or as an individual.

Her presentation continued with Suicide Ideation Intelligence work, helping those in attendance to co-create a new atmosphere at work and in managing teams that revolved around nine actions:

• Acknowledging suicide exposure as well as trauma exposure
• Recognising vulnerability itself is a resilience
• Improving awareness of home and personal pressures
• Sensitivity in investigations and prosecution risk
• Appreciating performance pressure
• Reality of pre-retirement identity and social isolation
• Managing help-seeking first attempts
• Reminding ourselves of our values
• Retaining the upper hand over thoughts, or cognitive training

To watch the webinar in full click here.

About #AskTwice

Our AskTwice campaign seeks to encourage a positive and supportive culture within policing, one that breaks down barriers and removes stigma, instead prioritising mental, physical, financial and general wellbeing over insecurity and isolation. Ask your colleague how they are, and if you're not convinced by the answer, ask twice.

AskTwice is a resource too; a library of assets that offer support and guidance for those in moments of crisis, those seeking background support or people looking to support colleagues through challenging times.

This new online resource will grow over time as the resources within evolve and renew.

When things get tough, we want colleagues to have the confidence to open up about their troubles whatever they may be, to those around them.

At the heart of AskTwice is the determination to support our members with the tools they need at their time of need.

Click the banner below for more.