Barbers in the Isle of Man are to receive training to help spot the warning signs of clients who may have thoughts of suicide.

‘BarberTalk’ suicide prevention training is part of the island’s ‘Suicide Prevention Strategy’ and the scheme will launch in early October.

Local barbers, and trainee barbers at University College Isle of Man, will be trained on how to recognise the signs that a client is struggling, to ask the right questions, listen well, and to direct them towards support.

A spokesperson from the Isle of Man Government said: ‘Statistics show the rate of suicide among men on the island is three times higher than women, with middle age men at the highest risk, a statistic similar to the UK and Jersey.

‘It is understood that while men are less likely to speak about their emotions, the relaxed atmosphere in barber shops often encourages customers to talk more openly.

‘BarberTalk is being launched by Public Health Isle of Man and will be delivered by BarberTalk UK, which is dedicated to raising suicide-prevention awareness, particularly among men.

‘In the UK, 3,500 barber shops have already participated in the BarberTalk programme.’

BarberTalk aims to teach barbers the ability to: recognise the signs that may indicate that someone is struggling; ask the hard-to-ask direct questions with confidence; listen with empathy and without judgement; and signpost to the organisations that can help.

If you wish to find out more about BarberTalk, you can visit https://www.gov.im/barbertalk