Send a Text Save a Life

It is widely accepted that intervening as early as possible is the best way of helping anyone who may be in distress or experiencing mental health problems.
The consequences of not identifying or responding quickly to warning signs can be devastating. Around three-quarters of people who commit suicide in the UK each year have not been in contact with specialist mental health services within a year of their death and in the last months of their life many have no contact with their GP either.

SANE will soon launching a new concept of care as part of its 25th Anniversary Black Dog Campaign. It will give members of the public the ability to offer practical comfort to those they love.

Send a Text Save a Life draws on SANE’s expertise in providing emotional support. SANE will give people the knowledge, and equip them with a practical toolkit, to recognise important mental health warning signs. And it will empower each one of us to take common-sense actions. A simple text message can lift the spirits, change a person’s mood and in some cases, even save a life.

Across the UK, there are hundreds of thousands of people who are worried about individuals they love, but unsure how they can help. The perceptions could be about friends, family members, neighbours or colleagues.

Often our perceptions are accurate, but we lack the confidence to reach out. However, SANE believes the public can play a vital role in recognising and responding to the critical early warning signs of vulnerable people; and it does not require specialist skills or extensive training. 

More information on this new initiative to follow soon. 

These warning sign images are used with kind permission of The Charlie Waller Memorial Trust.