Tory MSP Brian Whittle tells the committee that Sandra White and he heard traumatic and compelling evidence this morning prior to the committee, where the huge diversity in mental health provision was highlighted.

Toni Giugliano from the Mental Health Foundation Scotland says he wants to bring mental health and first aid training to the fore, but "we are really nowhere near that at the moment".

Mr Giugliano explains there needs to be more training and retraining in suicide prevention and mental health first aid.

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Craig Smith accepts awareness raising is absolutely key, but the training must provide skills to intervene and provide crisis support.

Stigma is a huge issue, he says and calls for it to be addressed.

We are somewhat disappointed stigma did not appear prominently in the draft strategy, he says.

Dan Proverbs from Brothers in Arms points to "brothers hiding in plain sight", adding men put on a "suit of armour" and hide their feelings.

Toni Giugliano from the Mental Health Foundation Scotland tells the committee that people in more deprived areas are three times more likely to take their own lives than those in affluent areas.

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Mr Giugliano points out: "There is clear evidence that the austerity agenda and welfare reform has had a huge impact on people's mental health, particularly around employment."

He explains 70% of people in Scotland who took their own lives were in employment.

Mr Giugliano highlights in-work poverty and job security, as well as zero hour contracts for people with no other choice, as issues that must be addressed.

Labour MSP David Stewart raises the impact of inequalities.

Samaritans James Jopling argues it is important to ensure the suicide strategy stretches into other parts of government.

He points to the link between unemployment or job uncertainty and increased likelihood of suicide as an example.

Scott Walker of NFU Scotland points to a "whole period of change" for farmers at the moment and he urges the Scottish government to take a broad view of how policy will impact people.

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Suicide among men in Scotland is to be examined as part of an in-depth study by researchers at Glasgow University.

The three-year Phd will assess what increases the likelihood of someone taking their own life and what can be done to reduce the risks.

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Of the 728 people who killed themselves in Scotland in 2016, 75% of them were men.

Suicide is currently the leading cause of death in men under the age of 50 across the UK.

Read more here.

Details of organisations which offer advice and support are available at BBC Action Line or you can call for free, at any time, to hear recorded information 0800 066 066.

Dan Proverbs tells the committee he has used both medication and talking therapies in the past.

There needs to be some support for people who are on waiting lists for treatment, he argues.

He suggests a digital strand of the strategy would be useful, particularly for men who find it difficult to talk to people who could instead download tools for support.

Lib Dem MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton asks about continuity of care and psychological therapies.

Toni Giugliano agrees talking therapies play a crucial role in mental health treatment.

We should also never stigmatise anyone using medication for mental health - it is safe and it works for some people, he says.

The MHF Scotland representative calls for a review into how decisions for treatment are made and whether resourcing comes into it.

If we are in a situation where psychological therapies is not the first port of call, this needs to be addressed, he states.

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James Jopling tells the committee Samaritans in Scotland did some research into people in the Highlands who had experienced suicidal thoughts.

Mr Jopling explains there is a disproportionately high suicide rate in the Highlands.

He gives a verbatim quote as part of that research:

"Services are terrible almost on the verge of non-existent.

"Theoretically I am supposed to see a psychiatrist every three months, but we haven't had a permanent psychiatrist in post for seven or eight years now.

"We have a series of locums and I must have seen eight or nine different locums in the last few years, because they don't stay."

That is a quote from someone on the Isle of Skye, he explains.

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Craig Smith from SAMH says there are not enough talking therapies.

There needs to be focus on taking down those waiting times, he argues.

People don't know who Choose Life is, there is no visibility, suggests Dan Proverbs.

SNP MSP Emma Harper asks about rural isolation and suicide.

NFU Scotland's Scott Walker expresses doubts about the sharing of best practice seen in Dumfries and Galloway with other parts of Scotland.

Soft engagement and early engagement is a good scheme but it is "disconnected" from what could be a national project, he explains.

The Samaritans poll, which included more than 1,000 people in Scotland, found:

• 61% of people in Scotland have some experience of suicide
• 89% would support suicide prevention training for professionals
• Almost 40% would not know where to turn if they were supporting someone in crisis
• 29% have either supported a close friend or family member through feelings of suicide, or lost a close friend or family member to suicide

Read more here.

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James Jopling from Samaritans in Scotland, external suggests we are lacking accountability, evaluation and ownership of suicide prevention plans.

For example in Highland there is no Choose Life coordinator he says.

The structures worked in 2002 when they were introduced, but evaluation has been lost since he says.

Mr Jopling says Scotland no longer has local plans or evaluation.

Craig Smith argues transparency of funding has been completely lost at a local level.

The SAMH representative says there is a huge discrepancies across the country in terms of Choose Life coordinators.

He calls for natonal infrastructure to help local partners to develop good plans and share good practice.

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A north east of Scotland suicide awareness group is aiming a new campaign at men going through a relationship break-up, after figures showed that was the main issue behind such deaths in the area last year.

Choose Life, external found men accounted for about 80% of people taking their own life in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.

Failing relationships played a significant part in a majority.

The charity is appealing for men to suggest how support services can help.

Choose Life Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire co-ordinator Iain Murray told BBC Scotland: "During April we're gathering questions, thoughts and experiences through theChoose Life Prevent Suicide North East Scotland Facebook, externalpage and also we've set 10 locations in Aberdeenshire and the city where people can physically drop off their comments.

Image source, Choose Life

Scott Walker from NFU Scotland agrees engagement with rural areas is vital.

The strategy must not only look at prevention of suicide, but also how to support families after suicide he adds.

Convener Lewis Macdonald asks about the Choose Life network.

Mr Giugliano points to local authorities reducing funding for suicide prevention and the lack of ministerial guidance, which he argues has led to some councils not prioritising the suicide agenda.

It is difficult to know what is happening on the ground and we need more clarity around this, he explains.

A national body able to provide best practice and leadership could ensure funding is not being eroded.

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Amy's brother had battled depression for eight years before he took his own life in July last year, aged just 26.

Despite his mental health struggles, his death was a shock to his family who believed he was coping with the illness.

But she insists he did not choose to kill himself - he was killed by his depression.

Amy spoke to BBC Radio Scotland about her experience after a striking new art installation was unveiled highlighting the issue of male suicide.

Sculptures of 84 men have been placed on the roof of ITV's This Morning studios in London - each representing real men who have lost their lives to suicide.

Every week 84 men in the UK take their own lives, according to the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) the charity behind Project84.

• Suicide 'more likely' among poorest
• 'Listening is very, very important'
• Read more here

If you or someone you know has been affected by mental health problems, these organisations may be able to help.

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Dan Proverbs from Brothers in Arms, external calls for the recognition of male suicide, which "seems to be almost the elephant in the room".

Mr Proverbs says 75% of all suicide in the UK is male.

He adds there needs to be more focus on men at risk of taking their own lives, particularly in rural Scotland.

MHF Scotland's Toni Giugliano suggests suicide prevention work has been eroded locally in recent years, particularly in relation to funding, transparency and oversight.

We need to instil some new ambition, he explains.

Mr Giugliano calls for the establishment of a new body to provide more oversight and increase trust in organisations tasked with delivering suicide prevention.

Another priority area is bereavement support, he adds.

From the Scottish government:, external Every life matters and everyone has a role to play in suicide prevention. The impact of suicide on families, friends and communities is devastating and has long lasting consequences.

Our existing Suicide Prevention Strategy covered the period 2013-16 and set out a range of commitments under 5 broad themes:

• Responding to people in distress
• Talking about suicide
• Improving the NHS response to suicide
• Developing the evidence base
• Supporting change and improvement

The Scottish Government is seeking views on themes and draft actions for possible inclusion in a new Suicide Prevention Action Plan aimed at continuing the downward trend in suicides in Scotland.

The themes and draft actions have been published in an engagement paper on 8 March 2018, and have arisen from discussions with a wide range of stakeholders, including people with lived experience, over the past few months.

• Click here for more information about the consultatation document., external
• Click here for more information about the engagement process for the Draft Suicide Prevention Action Plan., external
• Read more here, external

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Craig Smith from the SAMH, external says he was disappointed with the scope of some of the actions in the plan.

Mr Smith welcomes some changes since the publication of the plan.

He calls for the final plan to be ambitious with clear, transparent funding which reinstates the link between the national and the local.

There are concerns there has been a reduction in focus in suicide prevention in recent years, he says.