Sajid Javid called on men to talk about their mental health, while for the first time he spoke publicly about the loss of his brother, who took his own life.
The health minister said he was still wondering if he could take action to prevent his brother’s death, and spoke of his “deeply personal” mission to prevent suicide. Javid’s brother, Tariq, 51, took his own life in a hotel in Horsham, West Sussex, in July 2018.
“We later learned that he had a physical health problem that he had not told anyone about,” Javid said. “And if we had just known, if he had talked to us, maybe we would have done something,” he added. “It simply came to our notice then. And I guess I’ll never know the answer to that. “
Suicide is the leading cause of death for men under the age of 50, and about three-quarters of suicides each year are men. Javid said that despite the growing awareness in some communities, there is still a “stigma around talking about mental health problems”, adding: “And we need to convey the message that it doesn’t matter what culture we come from. Each of us can have a mental health challenge at some point in our lives, and there is nothing wrong with that. The most important thing is to tell someone, talk to others and seek help. ”
The loss of his brother has changed the way Javid interacts with friends and family, he told the Sunday Times. “I make sure I take time for people and ask them how they feel.” Javid said he was worried during the pandemic when a “close family friend” developed severe mental health problems.
“Although he doesn’t use the word suicide, I was worried about the signs I saw, and I absolutely insisted that he get mental health support. At first he was very reluctant, but in the end he did it and now he is in a much better place and I am not sure I would have done it before this tragedy happened to my family. “
Javid, 52, added: “I am blessed with four wonderful children – three who are already young people – and now I am talking to them much more about their feelings. Of course, there are mental health professionals, but there is a role for all of us in this.
“If there is someone who is thinking about what they can do to help, the first thing is to talk to your family and friends and ask them how they are feeling. But don’t just ask them the way they nod – ask them how they really feel and take the time. ”
Speaking at London’s Papyrus Suicide Prevention Charity headquarters in London on Friday, Javid said a renewed suicide prevention plan was being developed, as well as better services for grieving families and research to understand the causes of suicide.
“We have to treat suicides with the same urgency as we treat any other big killer,” he said. “I am determined to make a change on this issue and one of the ways to do that is by publishing a new 10-year suicide prevention plan. This is something that is deeply personal to me – there are too many families left unfinished, and too much potential remains untapped. “
The long-term suicide prevention plan is seeking public opinion, but only 19% of respondents so far are men, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
In 2018, senior West Sussex investigator Penelope Schofield ruled that Tariq Javid had taken his own life. The investigation found that he had left two letters to his partner telling her to “go on and enjoy life” before booking a hotel room in Horsham.
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