3 Dads Walking star at Liverpool suicide and self-harm conference

Honorary Fellow Mike Palmer MBE says a pioneering schools project run by LJMU is vital to prevent suicide among young people.

Mike, who lost daughter Beth to suicide in 2020, is one of the 3 Dads Walking, campaigning to escalate the national conversation on suicide -  the biggest killer of under-35s in the UK.

“It makes sense to equip our young people with information and guidance at a young age so, we hope the university’s MAPSS study will tell us how best to move forward,” Mike said.

3 Dads Walking – Mike, from Sale, Andy Airey, from Cumbria and Tim Owen, from Norfolk, have raised £1.5 million for suicide prevention charity Papyrus since 2021, attracting support from Daniel Craig, Nicole Kidman, and government ministers, including Keir Starmer.

Mike, a former firefighter, was recognised for his work and his collaboration with LJMU’s Suicide and Self Harm Research Group with a LJMU Honorary Fellowship in November.

'What about emotional education? We need more life and coping skills taught in schools' - Mike Palmer MBE

He was speaking with Andy and Tim at the 7th Suicide and Self-Harm Research North-West conference in Liverpool (Nov 19), hosted by LJMU, the University of Manchester and UCLan.

3 Dads have submitted a petition to Parliament requesting suicide prevention actions be compulsory in schools in England and Wales, and the MAPSS study, run by the School of Psychology, is trialling ways of including it in the school timetable in schools in Merseyside and Cheshire.

“Suicide is out of the bag in schools,” added Mike. “Eight year-olds are talking about it, so let’s allow them safe, guided spaces to talk about it more.

“Our educational system is very academically focussed, but what about emotional education? We need more life and coping skills taught in schools.”

Referring to resistance to targeting messages at very young children, Professor Pooja Saini, who hosted the conference, said: “It is a myth that people will be more likely to have suicidal intentions simply because we talk about it.”

The MAPSS project, which is modelled on an Australian harm prevention programme, will report back in January 2025 when it is hoped it will be upscaled. It is led by Prof Saini and Dr Emma Ashworth and involves Dr Molly McCarthy and assistant Sio Wynne.

The SSHARE NoW annual conference is designed to allow academics, professionals and clinicians to debate the latest research and ensure suicide prevention work does not happen in silos.

Image: Mike, Tim and Andy with Pooja Sani and the MAPPS Team at LJMU.