Male mental health and suicide prevention intiatives

In this episode amii chair Dave Middleton focuses on male mental health and, in particular suicide, in an inspiring and emotional conversation with former journalist Mike McCarthy. For over 36 years Mike reported on headline stories across the world, notching up hundreds of appearances on the BBC and Sky News. Some of his riskier assignments saw him covering masked rioters looting in Manchester, and the frontlines of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. However, none of these experiences prepared him for the ordeal of losing his son, Ross, to suicide in February 2021. Ross had battled depression for a decade when he died; he left a young son, a fiancée, and a heartfelt request that his family campaign for better mental health support. Mike is committed to honouring Ross’ final wish and is spearheading the UK’s biggest suicide awareness and prevention campaign Baton of Hope  Suicide is the biggest killer of men and women under 35 in the UK. Seventeen people will die by suicide today… tomorrow… and the day after that. More than in traffic accidents. More than from cancer. And every single one is potentially preventable. #passiton In this podcast Mike talks movingly about his son, why attitudes and policies around suicide need to change and the Baton of Hope campaign.