TODAY'S special report about male suicide makes for upsetting reading.

Mrs Liz Nolan bravely shared her's and her family’s trauma that came in the wake of the suicide of her son Jamie, who took his own life at the age of 19.

Tragically, Mrs Nolan is not the only mother in Bolton who has experienced such a harrowing ordeal.

Statistics show that more than 200 people take their own lives in Greater Manchester each year. Suicide is the biggest killer of men aged under 49 and women aged between 20 and 34, in the Greater Manchester region.

Since her son’s death, Mrs Nolan has lamented the fact that suicide is still not given the high-profile treatment it deserves, nor is mental ill-health which is what led to Jamie’s death. The stigma and shame around the two issues still remains and many people avoid talking about it.

However, things are gradually changing and the likes of such figures as Prince Harry, who has helped highlight the struggles of those whose poor mental health lead to them taking their own lives, is slowly helping to change attitudes.

That is why Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership’s Shining a Light on Suicide campaign should be welcomed. Supported by such agencies as the NHS, local councils and the Samaritans, it aims to help to prevent suicides and to get people talking about the matter openly.