A WOMAN who created a charity in her son's memory wants suicide prevention training to be given to medical students.
Ann Feloy is campaigning for student doctors to be provided with the training after her son, Oliver, killed himself in 2017, aged 22.
The initiative would see suicide prevention training added to the curriculum in all medical schools.
Ann's charity, Olly's Future, is calling for the change after her son died just days after a doctor prescribed him with antidepressants.
Ann, who is chairwoman of the charity, said: “I am very proud of the fact that so far 718 medical students have received vital training in suicide prevention skills and self-compassion techniques, and we do this as part of my beloved son’s legacy.
“Every year we are asked to run Dr Sams (Suicide Awareness in Medical Students) at more and more medical schools. However, this piecemeal approach is not sufficient.”
Ann, from Worthing, set up Olly’s Future with the aim of supporting other young people.
Oliver, a graduate from University College London, died after seeing doctors twice about his mental health in the months prior to his death on Valentines Day in 2017.
The charity has contacted health secretary Theresa Coffey, the British Medical Association and several medical schools about the initiative.
Training would be focused on equipping doctors with suicide prevention skills as well as self-compassion techniques.
The proposal coincided with World Mental Health Day yesterday, which aims to raise awareness of people talking about their well-being and remove stigmas surrounding the issue.
Funding from the BMA has allowed training to be provided at several medical schools in recent years but the charity now wants government backing to provide it nationwide.
According to research published in the British Medical Journal, medical students are at a higher risk of suffering from depression and of having suicidal thoughts than the general population.
Emma Baars, chief executive of Olly’s Future, said: “We need to equip the GPs of tomorrow with the skills to help their future patients, as well as their colleagues and themselves, when they are under stress.”
Anyone affected by this and other mental health struggles can contact Samaritans for free on 116 123 or by visiting www.samaritans.org
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