Self-harm prevention course for young people

Hafnarfjörður will be the first municipality in Iceland to develop a six-week preventative programme for 13- to 14-year-olds, many of whom experience suicidal thoughts or self-harm. This group will be provided with tools to tackle various challenges in life, build perseverance and resilience, and enhance self-confidence and emotional skills. The course is of Irish origin and has been taught there with good results since 2017, but will be translated and adapted to the Icelandic and Lithuanian contexts. The European Union approved a grant for the project on the grounds that it is multinational. 

The town newspaper Hafnfirðingur He spoke with Geir Bjarnason, the sports and leisure representative for the City of Hafnarfjörður, and Kristín Ólafsdóttir, the managing director of Pieta, as the organisation will lead this work.

Between 2010 and 2019, suicide was the most common cause of death in Iceland among people aged 30 and over. In the 15–29 age group, suicide is the third leading cause of death, and it is reported that 13.6 out of every 100,000 residents in OECD countries aged 13-19 take their own lives. These figures are extrapolated for Iceland so that Icelanders can be compared with other nations. Geir says that the Office of the Chief Medical Officer considered that the promotion of mental health and some kind of proactive preventative initiative were needed for the youngest group, and that the municipality of Hafnarfjörður was subsequently introduced to courses that such organisations in Ireland have run for young people as preventative measures.s successfully held for young people in a preventative capacity. „We subsequently applied for a grant from the European Union through Erasmus+ but were rejected. We then added a third country, Lithuania, and were awarded the grant on the basis that the project was multinational.“

Year 8 students in focus groups

Geir says the reason why Icelanders and Lithuanians have decided to work together on this important project is that in both countries the youth suicide rate is among the highest in Europe among OECD countries. „The need for education, dialogue and further prevention is certainly there. The Irish programme will be adapted for the Icelandic language in collaboration with the Pieta organisation, which will provide professionals to handle the training and teaching. Staff from the youth centres will be responsible for the education and discussions, along with representatives from Pieta, and Year 8 was chosen. „We are now starting in February to meet with 2–3 student representatives from Year 8 classes in 3–4 schools in Hafnarfjörður for a focus group to talk with them about their daily lives. This group, which is often composed of those who are not in a strong position, also discusses and evaluates the 11–13 discussion topics that the Irish project has been addressing. Together, the group decides the project's focus in Iceland and the topics they feel need to be discussed. What they feel is being done well in these areas and what could be improved. We then prepare the curriculum, where we discuss strengths and weaknesses and the best way to respond. It is then planned for those working with the young people to go to Ireland to experience how it is done there and to learn from them. The project is proving successful there and should do so here as well.“

Adversity and trauma are a part of life

Kristín says that perhaps we often fail to talk to and educate this age group about the fact that adversity, trauma and various difficult emotions are a part of existence and of being human. „We all need to be taught that emotions such as anxiety, depression and anger are as natural as joy, excitement and love, and that we need to learn to deal with them, acknowledge them, put them into words and work through them. We must intervene earlier and stand above the waterfall, not below it, to borrow a phrase from my colleague Grímur Atlason at Geðhjálp. Suicide is a sensitive issue that knows no social boundaries, and suicidal thoughts do not discriminate based on class, age, status or gender. At Pieta, we know that these thoughts and feelings of not wanting to live are terrifying and distressing for the individual experiencing them. But it is right to reiterate that suicide is never a solution. There are solutions, there is always hope, and we must be there for our people. “

Education and conversation are important prevention

Kristín emphasises that the organisation is very pleased that this project has been launched and with such strong partners. The project's framework is clear, and hopes are pinned on the BUILD project leading to increased awareness and the skills of young people to cope with difficult situations and emotions. International research shows that around 95% of people experience suicidal thoughts during their lifetime. „Fortunately, this brilliant generation of children and young people is less afraid to talk about their feelings, their well-being, and to ask for help. They are more aware of the old slogan „a healthy mind in a healthy body“ and show a great interest in matters concerning mental health. It is then up to us as a society to teach them and guide them on how to get help to work through difficult feelings, and to train the mind to cope with thoughts and emotions that we might not necessarily like.“ She says the uncomfortable truth is that suicide among young people is among the highest here in the country, and that we must face up to it and work together to improve the situation. „Suicide is tragedy in its darkest form. Education and conversation are important preventative measures, and it is the group's wish that this course can also be brought to other schools across the country.“

An interview with Geir and Kristín was published in Hafnfirðinginn on 4 February 2021.

^{Cover photo: Olga Björt Þórðardóttir}