A PETITION set up by a woman from Deeside to raise awareness of suicide rates among men is gathering pace.

The Office for National Statistics says that men continued to account for three-quarters of suicide deaths registered in 2022 (4,179 male deaths; 1,463 female deaths), a trend seen since the mid-1990s.

Deeside resident Mell Dudley set up the Change.org petition to help 'improve recognition and response to male suicide'.

She did so after a close friend of hers lost her partner to suicide at the start of this year.

Mell hopes that the petition - which you can sign here - can lead to action on a 'bigger scale'.

She said: "The last petition of this kind for male suicide was in 2018 and it didn't get very far. That's why I would like to make this big and get it to the National Institute of Mental Health. "

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Mell added: "This issue is deeply personal. Too many men are taking their own lives because they don't know where to turn, or they're too afraid and proud to speak out.

"We need a change in how male suicide is recognised and dealt with. We must break this cycle of silence and fear.

"It's time we started talking about prevention today, not tomorrow or the day after that. We need better mental health resources for men, more public awareness campaigns that specifically target males, and a societal shift towards encouraging open dialogue about male mental health.

"Let's take action now before another life is tragically lost due to lack of recognition or response to male suicide. Sign my petition today!"

Mell's petition so far has 493 signatures of its 500 target (correct at time of writing).

It is also worth pointing out that several groups have been established throughout north Wales over recent years to try and tackle the stigma surrounding men's mental health.

One of those is Andy's Man Club in Wrexham who host weekly sessions.

Established in 2022, the Wrexham group offers free-to-attend chats wich have proven to be an important tool for several men in the area.

If you or anyone you know are struggling with your/their mental health, then the Samaritans helpline is always available 24 hours on 116 123.