At 4.22pm on December the 4th 2019 Steve Phillip received a telephone call that in his own words would ‘change his life forever’ It was a call that no one would want to receive – it was from the girlfriend of his 34-year-old son Jordan – and it was to tell him that Jordan had taken his own life. Steve has been very open about the impact Jordan’s suicide has had on him and those close to him, he has put his energy into ensuring that we as a society, and employers in particular, are doing ever...
At 4.22pm on December the 4th 2019 Steve Phillip received a telephone call that in his own words would ‘change his life forever’
It was a call that no one would want to receive – it was from the girlfriend of his 34-year-old son Jordan – and it was to tell him that Jordan had taken his own life.
Steve has been very open about the impact Jordan’s suicide has had on him and those close to him, he has put his energy into ensuring that we as a society, and employers in particular, are doing everything we can to reduce the number of suicides in Britain – there are nearly 6,000 suicides a year in this country and over 4000 of those are men.
In today’s conversation I talk to Steve about the immediate aftermath of Jordan’s suicide, the impact on him and the immediate family, and why he decided to create ‘The Jordan Legacy’
It’s an extraordinary story and an important reminder for us all to be vigilant and make sure we spot the signs and provide the appropriate support to those who may need our help…
The Jordan Legacy - The problem and our challenge
Globally, more people die by suicide every year than from cancer, heart disease, and diabetes combined. 2016 World Health Organisation (WHO) data counted 800,000 suicide deaths (one every 40 seconds) and with suicide rates rising in many countries, including the UK, over the past 4 years, total global suicide deaths will now be more than 1 million per year. There are many more suicide attempts (20 times the number of deaths typically) and many family members, friends, colleagues, neighbours, etc traumatised by each death, especially as it often comes as shock news.
The reasons people choose to end their lives are often complex and varied. There is often no-one single contributing factor to take this most drastic of actions. What we do know is that many who make suicide attempts do so without letting anyone close to them know they’re considering taking their own life.
Our mission
Most deaths by suicide are preventable, so we must do everything we can to help people who don’t want to die but are feeling they can’t bear the pain of living in their current circumstances. Our mission is to improve people’s mental wellbeing and the support available; to reduce people’s sense of social isolation; to encourage the development of a kinder society; and help people feel a sense of achievement and contentment because of who they are not what they have or don’t have.
Our Vision
We can envisage an achievable desired state where deaths by suicide are rare events. It’s a huge challenge and a big goal but achievable through prioritised, focused, practical actions:
- practical actions to make our communities and workplaces mentally healthy and psychologically safe places;
- practical actions to use human intelligence and digital technology for earlier identification and intervention;
- practical actions for suicide prevention such as ‘designing out suicide’ in our built environment, education systems, health systems, and support systems for those known to be at risk or in danger (including restricting access to the means of suicide – known to be the most effective practical action to save lives);
- practical actions to encourage every hospital, university, council, employer, industry association, professional society, etc to make practical plans for suicide prevention within their spheres of influence.
The act of suicide is a practical act – it needs practical actions to prevent it.
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