Scotland: Scottish local authorities fight soaring suicide rate

The 9m training programme will allow each authority to train key staff, including youth workers and health professionals, to recognise those at risk of suicide and teach them how to intervene.

Scotland's suicide rate among young men is twice the UK average, with 17.35 suicides per 100,000 compared with the UK's 9.3 suicides per 100,000.

Last year suicide claimed at least 76 lives across the 16- to 24-year-old age group, out of 560 known suicides across Scotland.

By the end of next month, every authority will have a team of at least two trainers in place. This team will roll out the Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training programme to staff throughout their local authority by the end of March 2006. The programme has already been rolled out to 27 of Scotland's 32 local authorities.