Men and young people have been identified as target groups as part of a suicide prevention programme in north-west London.

Harrow Council’s health and wellbeing board discussed a draft report into tackling suicide and improving residents’ mental health in Harrow and Brent.

It noted the comparatively low rates of suicide in the region, when compared to citywide and national averages, but stressed that more can be done.

The report referenced the impact of social media, particularly among young people, and board member Cllr Janet Mote said it is important to brief schools on how this can affect pupils’ mental health.

Efforts in this area increased following the death of 14-year-old Harrow schoolgirl Molly Russell in 2017 – her parents believe messages and posts on social media were partly responsible.

Paul Hewitt, director of people’s services at Harrow Council, said: “The schools network has a relatively good understanding of the issues and they try to work with parents.

“But we still need to do more and that’s why we need to identify this as a key theme.”

The report also identified men – particularly young and middle-aged men – as the demographic most at risk.

In north-west London, there is an additional focus on Eastern European men and those working in the construction industry where, the committee noted, there are higher rates of suicide.

Dr Muhammad Shahzad, vice-chairman of Harrow CCG, said: “Everyone looks at suicide differently and everyone has different timelines, but the important thing is to have a strategy in place.”

And Cllr Simon Brown, responsible for adults and public health at Harrow Council, said the borough should get on board with the Mayor of London’s plan to make the capital a zero-suicide city.

He emphasised the effectiveness of training schemes, such as that offered by Zero Suicide Alliance, and urged as many people as possible to sign up.

Its 20-minute training shows how to identify when someone is feeling suicidal, how to provide comfortable support and where to effectively direct them for further help.