They say that events in your lifetime shape who you become. It is known that adverse childhood experiences can have a detrimental effect later on.

I think the reverse can apply as well. Those who have suffered very traumatic lifetime circumstances can find an inner strength and empathy to support others.

I believe this to be the case as far as I am concerned. Time makes things a little easier but you never forget.

The most difficult situations to deal with as a publicly elected representative are those which involve mental health issues or supporting those who have suffered a loss and the feelings of guilt after a family member has taken their own life.

They are left with thoughts of what more they could have done, if anything, to prevent such tragedies.

My first such experience involved Andrew. He had made threats to take his own life and his family felt he needed independent intervention for his own good. Those in authority did not agree.

I made representations on behalf of the family and after some time he was taken in to care. After a few days he was released only to subsequently take his own life.

The family were left in despair wondering what might have prevented this outcome. I’m afraid to say even up until my retirement I have heard similar stories first hand from families upon which I have made representations.

In Tynwald in 1992 after the tragedy involving Andrew I moved a resolution on the subject which resulted after some time in a report and recommendations. So sad that this was 30 years ago.

Everything is not negative about such situations though.

When I was a young man those who were facing crisis situations which made them think dark thoughts bottled such feelings up, often literally.

It wasn’t the thing to do to talk or seek help. I’m so pleased and proud of younger male persons these days who are open and discuss with others how they are feeling. They see via media outlets that these situations can affect anyone. Sports people or those in the music or leisure industries are now much more open to share experiences and discuss positive outcomes.

Tynwald recently discussed the government plan going forward for the next five years.

I was impressed and repeat here the comments from Joney Faragher MHK for Douglas East on the subject of mental health: ’I’m concerned that there isn’t a clear recognition of the importance of addressing mental health provision as a priority.

’I’m going to give some stats here, because, sadly we have experienced a worsening of the situation around mental health, as shown by our suicide rates. Over the course of 2020, we recorded 22 deaths by suicide and yes, we may think we can attribute this to the pressure of lockdown but it’s important to note that in many jurisdictions, including our neighbours the UK and Ireland, suicide rates actually decreased over lockdown.

’So that makes us an outlier. So that indicates that we are getting something wrong here.’

She continued: ’We tend to use a three-year rolling average to ascertain suicide rates, which is in order to iron out some of the "peaks and troughs" encountered in a small population.

’To put that into some perspective, the UK’s is 10 per 100,000 and Ireland’s is 6.8 per 100,000.

’According to research, suicide rates are strongly linked with access to mental health provision - to be clear, the better the access to mental health services, the lower the suicide rates - and who in here hasn’t heard of the struggles people have faced in accessing timely and needs-based mental health support?’

She concluded: ’I accept the Chief Minister’s note on the order paper regarding detailed Departmental plans, but firstly, the Social Affairs Policy Review Committee have made a number of recommendations which have become Tynwald resolutions but have not been actioned.

’Secondly, and in my view directly following on from that, according to these recent statistics our mental health situation has dramatically worsened. It’s because of this that I very much believe this should be reflected and acknowledged in our high-level plan for our island.’

My last five years as a Tynwald member were as an MLC.

It was clear that at the 2016 General Election there would be a number of new members.

After seven elections I can clearly state I much preferred and will always be a Keys man.

I hoped to be able to support the new members after such a long time but it wasn’t really needed.

So the most important work I led was as Chair of the Social Affairs Policy Review Committee of Tynwald. We brought a number of important social issues to the Court.

One of the most important items of work was that which I initiated in relation to mental health and suicide.

Having supported families and individuals affected by these issues there is no question that it was the most challenging area to try and help with.

I would receive multiple telephone calls at all times of the day and night and be accused of not doing anything which clearly wasn’t the case.

Later the advice from some professionals to Tynwald members was not to engage and leave such matters to them.

That was not my style and whilst I was obviously very careful when engaging on a one-to-one basis with those who were suffering I continued to try and support them when they felt let down by others.

We reported to Tynwald in relation to mental health issues in 2019 and suicide in 2020 as my last matter before the Court.

We had met as a committee with a number of people affected personally. We met most in private and I met others who didn’t feel up to appearing before us privately in their own homes. We met the coroner of inquests and I attended the court at the request of his family to witness the proceedings in relation to a young person affected.

We met with Dr Henrietta Ewart and one of her most disturbing comments was, and I quote: ’There is a big history in this island - and it is not unique to this island - of writing very nice documents that have perfectly reasonable objectives in them, but absolutely nothing happens as a result.’

We took our work very seriously and were pleased that with a couple of amendments that Tynwald supported our recommendations and conclusions.

We are all very well aware of the global pandemic over the past 20 months but I regard the intervention of Joney Faragher MHK as very timely to ensure those with a responsibility in this area make sure all the recommendations and conclusions are seen through. Mental health services must be seen on an equal basis to all other medical provision.

l I must mention a friend of many who has recently passed on after a long battle with Parkinson’s Disease. Michael Cowin, known affectionately as Pullyman, an area and people he was proud of and never forgot. He brought joy and inspiration to all in the face of adversity with his poems, read out on Manx Radio and shared with the island’s poetry community. His weekly recollections shared and enjoyed via Isle of Man Newspapers, his fundraising and so much more. Our thoughts are with his wife Irene and his close family.