Although it has been really sad to learn of the death from suicide of the actor and comedian Robin Williams, the greater sadness is the thousands of suicides which occur with little or no attention. In a reflection of the modern world which we occupy, it often now takes the death of a celebrity to bring a particular health issue in to sharper focus. The problem is that few people want to dwell for too long on negative health outcomes. For a variety of reasons, that is understandable. People still have their lives to lead and rightly so.
One aspect of the Robin Williams story is inescapable. It is arguably more straightforward to consider his alcohol and drug addiction than it is to consider his depression. Successive studies indicate that alcohol consumption continues to rise in Western populations with the spectre of addiction lurking not far away. Although the numbers taking illicit drugs are lower, the concept is still likely to be more palatable to the many. The stigma attached to all mental health remains as strong as ever.
If the passing of Robin Williams impacts even only slightly on the way people think about not just depression but mental health in general, that will be a great achievement. Only when whole societies start to consider it differently will the potential outcomes of people like him be improved. We will never save everyone from this fate but it is certain that whole societies can make a huge difference just through a change in attitude. The media in particular can make a massive difference by reflecting on the language they choose when reporting. We must all remember that negative language is just as powerful as positive language.
I went to fuel in my car recently and happened to glance down at the pump nozzle as the fuel went in. On the nozzle was a really powerful message and I salute whoever thought to put it there. It simply proclaimed the value of a "can do" message when talking about maths with our children. Clearly, the message is aimed at the parents who will be filling their fuel tanks but this is exactly the sort of subliminal education which is needed to effect meaningful change in our society for the better. That same strategy could be used to great effect to suggest to all of us the benefits of being open, honest and respectful when we talk about mental health.
I listened last night to a wonderful programme on the radio in which Sir Ken Robinson was being interviewed about education. The programme started with him revisiting his first school. As a child, like so many others at that time, he had developed polio. He described the primary school class as looking a bit like the bar in the Star Wars films. He was just being candid. The children at that school had a variety of physical problems but his point was that the children themselves only saw each other as people each with their own humour and so on. He went on to describe how he was taken out of the grammar school for which he had passed the 11 plus exam (to the enormous pride of his family) because the teachers felt that it was too much for him to get up five flights of stairs wearing his calipers. Nobody consulted him and he was indeed moved to another school. Had they consulted him (and there is a growing body of opinion that education should be about the child...), he would have reassured them that he was prefectly happy and loved being at that school. The crime is that nobody even bothered to engage with the lad with polio who would go on to become one of the most sought after speakers and thinkers on education in the world!
The subject of suicide is perhaps without parallel in generating very strong opinions. Some consider it selfish and others look upon it in a wider context. When we are blessed with the gift of life, it is up to each of us how we intend to use that gift. That people choose of their own volition to surrender that gift must rank as one of the most extraordinary acts imaginable. It is not about it being right or wrong because it is entirely a matter for the individual.
During his life, the singer and songwriter Nick Drake could barely sell a record. His songs were wistful, plaintiff and plucked at the very soul of those who dared to listen. Since his suicide in 1974, people can't get enough of his music. Although Robin Williams achieved his recognition, achievements and fame before his death, there are still a great many who never do and that is a real tragedy.
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