Public Concerns Raised Over Suicide Awareness Signs Near Cardiff Bridge

Road signs resembling official signage, addressing the topic of suicide, have been installed close to a bridge, prompting apprehension among individuals passing by regarding potential misinterpretation. Worries were expressed that these signs, given their proximity to Cardiff’s River Taff, might “trigger” individuals experiencing depression. The campaign responsible for their placement is Project7000 The Lost City, which seeks to highlight the mental health challenges prevalent within the construction sector. Cardiff council stated its lack of prior knowledge regarding the signs and confirmed their removal. Concurrently, the campaign’s organisers indicated their intention to reassess the signs’ positioning to mitigate any additional upset. Sharon Wall, a 43-year-old resident of Cardiff, commented: “This sign makes me really sad, it makes you think you never know what someone is feeling and the bridge and water is a peaceful thing to look at but if you’re not in the right frame of mind it’s not.” She further expressed her belief that the purpose of the signs was not clear to passers-by due to the diminutive size of the QR codes, adding that “if they’re in that mindset, it could be triggering”. Amna Albahrani, 22, a civil engineer involved in a five-storey tower construction project, stated she had “no idea what it’s for” and was unfamiliar with The Lost City campaign. She recounted seeing the signs while en route to a meeting concerning the topic and subsequently “freaked out”. Rijvi Chowdhury, 27, also from Cardiff, remarked: “I’ve seen a lot of people cry on the other side of the bridge… I think if they are depressed and see that, it may trigger them.” He also noted that “this is a busy road” and suggested the need for more explicit labeling to clarify the signs’ intent. Danny Muir, 29, from Cardiff, shared his initial impression: “[My friends and I] work in the arts so we thought it was some fancy, slightly misplaced arts project because we saw suicide and thought ‘that’s a bit on the nose’.” Upon learning the signs’ true purpose, he considered it “a great idea but poorly executed”. He further commented that the dimensions of the QR codes and the “high-traffic area” where they were situated would likely lead to them being overlooked, thereby failing to convey the intended message. Lee Wilcox, CEO of On The Tools, a media platform for the construction industry that supports the campaign, stated that 7,000 individuals had died by suicide over the last decade, a figure “four times the national average”. He clarified that the initiative’s objective was to “connect workers to essential support, not to cause distress. We’re sorry to hear some signs may have had that effect”. He also confirmed that the organization would re-evaluate the signs’ positioning to guarantee sensitivity while continuing to promote awareness. For those seeking assistance, the BBC Action Line web page provides a compilation of organizations prepared to offer support and guidance. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our approach to external linking is available.