MSP welcomes Brothers in Arms to Parliament

Charity group Brothers In Arms staged an exhibition at the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh last week.
The aim of the exhibition, which was sponsored by local MSP Gil Paterson along with East Dunbartonshire MSP Rona Mackay, was to raise awareness of suicide among men and to highlight the group’s work providing information and support to men who are struggling to cope with stress or anxiety or common mental health issues.
Suicide is the single biggest killer of men under 45 in the UK, 75% of all suicide is male. Brothers In Arms use men’s peer groups, their voices and interests to reach them. They’ve launched a new App where you can find exclusive content and get details of support resources in Scotland. The App which is free to download and was developed in consultation with psychiatrists and psychologists, provides a clinically proven, confidential, wellbeing service The group have teamed up with BAFTA award winning documentary film maker Duncan Cowles to create their first film and they’re also collaborating with the Being Mankind organisation to donate 80 of their books, Being Mankind Volume 1, to schools and youth organisations throughout Scotland.
Welcoming the group to Holyrood Gil Paterson MSP said:
“Suicide is a huge issue in our society which has devastating consequences not just for the young men who takes their own lives but for their families and loved ones as well.
 “Too many men grow up feeling that to admit that they are struggling or to ask for help is a sign of weakness. There is pressure on men to be strong and never show any vulnerability. But the level of suicide in young men as a result of this macho culture is shocking so we need to find different ways to tackle this, different ways to reach them in order to prevent young men from taking their lives in such tragic circumstances. The Brothers In Arms App, which has been developed with the help of psychologists and psychiatrists, is just the kind of thing which could make a real difference, as is their campaign to bring the issue to schools and youth organisation throughout the country. Let’s get young men talking about how they’re feeling.”