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Suicide in the United Kingdom

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Suicide is a significant national social issue in the United Kingdom. In 2022 there were 5,642 registered deaths by suicide in England and Wales, equating to an average of 15 suicides per day.[2] 74.1% of suicides in England and Wales in 2022 were males.[2] In Scotland there were 762 probable suicides in 2022, equating to an average of 2 suicides per day.[3] In Northern Ireland there were 203 suicide deaths registered in 2022.[4] Suicide is the biggest killer of men under the age of 50 in the UK.[5][6][7][8]

Suicide rate per 100,000 population in the United Kingdom from 1990 to 2019
Suicide deaths per 100,000 persons (1960–2017) in G7 countries, Russia and South Korea[1]

Governmental and other organisations have created different initiatives to attempt to prevent suicides in the country, including the establishment of a new post, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Mental Health, Inequalities and Suicide Prevention).[9]

Definition

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The Office for National Statistics defines suicide as deaths from intentional self-harm (where a coroner has given a suicide conclusion or made it clear in the narrative conclusion that the deceased intended to end their own life) and events of undetermined intent (mainly deaths where a coroner has given an open conclusion) in people aged 15 and over, and also (since 2016) deaths from intentional self-harm in children aged 10 to 14. This definition will include more deaths than the definition used in other countries.

Dynamics

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Researchers and sociologists have identified several causes for the high rate of suicide in the United Kingdom; these include recent recessions, unemployment, austerity measures and loneliness.[10] Research undertaken by Samaritans agree that socio-economic status tends to be the main cause, as it is for other groups. Relationship breakdown is another factor as they are often relying on a female partner for emotional support and are more likely to have access to their children restricted.[11] However, less attention has been paid to situational factors - the fact that opportunity is a decisive factor in many suicides. Major reductions in UK suicide resulted from the introduction of North Sea gas, replacing much more toxic coal gas, and by limiting the supply of over-the-counter painkillers like paracetamol and co-proxamol.[12]

Common methods

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See also: suicide methods

The most common method used in England and Wales is hanging, accounting for 59.4% of male and 45% of female suicides.[13] Other suicides reported often include self-poisoning.[14] Suicide using firearms accounts for only a very small fraction, possibly due to tight gun control, meaning very few households in the UK possess them (4 percent).[15] Hanging is the most common method used by women, closely followed by self poisoning.[16]

Inhalation of domestic gas was the most common method of suicide during the mid-twentieth century. It was completely eliminated by the 1990s as a result of the replacement of coal gas containing toxic carbon monoxide by the non-poisonous natural gas.[17][18][19] Later, suicide by inhalation of carbon monoxide from car exhausts became common, but has declined since the introduction of catalytic converters.[20]

Statistics

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Age-standardised rates generally fell between 1981 and 2007, with rates in subsequent years increasing to reach a peak of 11.1 deaths per 100,000 in 2013, though this was still substantially less than the rates seen in the 1980s and 1990s.[16] The highest rate of suicide was recorded as 21.4 deaths per 100,000 population in 1988. Male suicides have consistently accounted for approximately three-quarters of all suicides in the UK since the mid-1990s.[16]

6,507 people died by suicide in 2018, significantly more than in 2017.[13] In January 2013, MPs expressed concern at a rise in the number of suicides over the preceding years.[21]

The suicide rate of 11.2 deaths per 100,000 population recorded by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in 2018 is an increase on the 10.1 per 100,000 population recorded in 2017, which was the lowest since the organisation began recording data on suicide in the United Kingdom in 1981. In 1981 the ONS recorded the UK suicide rate as 14.7 deaths per 100,000.[16]

 
Suicide rates within the United Kingdom per 100,000 people in 2020

In 2019, the 15% increase in the suicide rate in Scotland was described as "devastating,"[22] with men most at risk.[23]

Suicide rate[needs update]
By sex; United Kingdom (1981–2017), rate per 100,000 people
Year All Male Female
1981 14.7 19.5 10.6
1982 14.4 19.3 10.2
1983 14 19.1 9.6
1984 14 19.2 9.5
1985 14.7 20.1 9.8
1986 14.2 20.4 8.9
1987 13.4 19.6 8.2
1988 14.4 21.4 8.3
1989 12.7 19 7.2
1990 13.2 20.2 6.9
1991 12.8 19.7 6.6
1992 12.9 19.9 6.6
1993 12.5 19.2 6.4
1994 12.1 18.8 6.1
1995 12.1 18.9 6
1996 11.6 18.1 5.8
1997 11.4 17.6 5.8
1998 12.4 19.3 6
1999 12.2 19.3 5.8
2000 11.9 18.4 5.9
2001 11.5 17.9 5.5
2002 11.2 17.1 5.6
2003 10.9 16.9 5.5
2004 11.1 16.9 5.8
2005 10.7 16.4 5.5
2006 10.4 16.2 5
2007 10 15.6 4.7
2008 10.5 16.3 5
2009 10.3 16.1 4.9
2010 10.2 15.8 4.9
2011 10.9 16.8 5.3
2012 10.7 16.8 4.9
2013 11.1 17.8 4.8
2014 10.8 16.8 5.2
2015 10.9 16.6 5.4
2016 10.4 16 5
2017 10.1 15.5 4.9
2018 11.2 17.2 5.4
Source: Office for National Statistics, National Records of Scotland, Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency[16][24]
Age standardised suicide rate[needs update]
By gender and age group, United Kingdom (1981–2017), rate per 100,000 people (standardised to the European Standard Population)
Males aged Females aged
Year 10–29 30–44 45–59 60–74 75+ 10–29 30–44 45–59 60–74 75+
1981 9.8 19.5 23.1 22.0 28.6 3 8.5 15 16.2 13.6
1982 9.1 19.0 23.6 22.0 28.1 3.2 8.4 13.9 15.4 14.2
1983 9.0 19.7 22.5 22.5 28.6 2.9 8 12.8 14.8 13.4
1984 9.5 20.4 23.0 21.3 27.9 2.7 7.7 13.1 14.4 13.5
1985 10.8 21.6 23.2 22.6 29.1 2.7 7.5 13.7 15.9 13.5
1986 11.5 20.9 22.5 23.5 31.3 3.2 7 11.3 13.8 13.3
1987 12.3 21.0 21.1 21.5 27.7 3.6 7 10.5 11.8 10.8
1988 14.5 24.0 21.2 21.8 33.8 3.5 7.7 10.2 11.2 12.5
1989 13.8 21.4 21.1 16.9 26.8 3.7 6.4 9 9.3 10.6
1990 15.8 23.0 21.9 18.0 25.4 3.3 6.8 8.2 9.5 9.5
1991 15.1 25.0 21.5 15.6 24.0 3.4 6.4 8.4 8.1 9
1992 15.5 24.3 21.6 17.2 22.7 3.8 6.2 8.1 8.4 8.3
1993 15.9 23.3 21.4 15.2 21.2 3.6 6.6 7.5 7 9.5
1994 15.8 23.0 18.6 15.4 24.2 3.4 6.4 6.7 7.1 9.3
1995 15.3 24.8 19.5 14.2 21.2 3.3 6.5 7 6.3 8.3
1996 14.2 23.7 18.6 14.2 21.3 3.7 6.4 6.8 5.8 7.5
1997 15.1 22.1 18.6 13.0 20.0 3.5 6.5 7.2 6.3 6
1998 16.8 26.0 20.1 13.6 17.8 3.9 6.8 6.7 6.5 6.9
1999 14.9 25.7 19.9 15.1 20.6 3.6 6.7 6.4 6 7
2000 14.9 24.4 19.3 13.6 18.7 3.9 6.4 7.5 5.6 6.5
2001 13.0 23.4 20.4 13.5 18.1 3 6.7 6.7 5.7 6.2
2002 12.4 24.2 19.1 13.0 14.2 3.7 6.1 6.6 5.4 6.8
2003 11.3 23.8 18.2 13.1 16.8 3 6.5 7.1 4.9 6.4
2004 10.6 23.7 19.1 12.7 18.2 3.1 6.6 7.5 5.9 7
2005 9.8 23.0 18.9 13.1 16.3 3.1 6.2 7.7 4.9 5.5
2006 9.6 22.7 19.6 13.1 14.9 2.8 5.2 7.5 5 4.7
2007 9.8 22.3 18.3 12.0 15.4 2.2 5.4 6.8 5.1 4.4
2008 10.7 23.4 19.3 12.8 14.3 2.8 6.1 7.1 4.4 4.5
2009 10.5 22.4 20.6 11.6 13.9 3 5.9 6.5 4.6 4.8
2010 9.4 21.3 20.7 12.4 15.0 3 5.8 6.8 4.7 4.3
2011 10.4 23.5 22.1 12.7 13.8 3.3 6.4 7.3 4.6 4.8
2012 10.6 23.0 23.0 12.3 13.2 2.7 5.7 7.4 4.2 4.4
2013 9.8 23.4 25.1 14.5 15.4 2.3 6.3 7 3.9 4.7
2014 9.9 21.3 23.9 13.6 14.4 3.2 6.1 7.3 4.6 4.6
2015 10.6 21.0 22.3 13.8 14.8 3.2 6 7.6 5.4 4.8
2016 10.5 20.7 21.8 12.3 13.4 3.4 5.5 7.3 4.6 3.5
2017 9.9 19.7 21.8 12.0 12.1 3.2 5.8 6.3 4.6 4.5
Source: Office for National Statistics, National Records of Scotland, Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency[16]
  •  
    Suicide rate in England and Wales per 100,000 population
  •  
    Suicides as a percentage of total deaths in the United Kingdom
  •  
    Suicide rate per 100,000 people
  •  
    Proportion of suicides by method in England and Wales
  •  
    Suicide rate of males by age group in England and Wales
  •  
    Suicide rate of females of different age groups in England and Wales

Suicide prevention

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Sign promoting Samaritans near a payphone in the United Kingdom

Within the UK there are various organisations providing free mental health support.

The National Health Service (NHS) is the main provider of a range of mental health services, including 24/7 mental health crisis lines.

There are also prominent charities providing support via free helplines including Samaritans, the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) and Inner Allies (previously named Mind Allies).

The government of the United Kingdom and a number of international and national organizations have undertaken a variety of efforts and initiatives to prevent suicides. There are different associations that provide help and suggestions to suicidal people. Some notable organisations include Grassroots Suicide Prevention (who developed the first UK suicide prevention app - Stay Alive), Papyrus (a suicide prevention group founded in 1997 by Jean Kerr – who lost her son to suicide),[25] Maytree (a sanctuary for the suicidal), and U can cope.[26]

In 2012, the United Kingdom government decided to spend £1.5 million to develop planning and strategies on preventing suicides.[27] In January 2013, the social networking site Facebook started a partnership with suicide-prevention organisation "Save.org" to provide data that will be used to identify warning signs of people at risk of suicide. The service became live in the UK in 2016.[28]

On 10 October 2018, the Prime Minister, Theresa May, announced the UK's first Minister for Suicide Prevention.[29]

Terminology

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There have been calls in the UK to change the language used around the topic of suicide, particularly the use of the phrase "commit suicide". The phrase is seen by some as suggesting suicide is a criminal act, thereby enforcing a notion of legal wrongdoing in the same way as "committing rape" or "committing murder".

The mainstream UK media currently observes the practice of avoiding the phrase "commit suicide" in line with the media reporting guidelines published by suicide prevention charity Samaritans, who refer to it as "inappropriate language".[30]

On 10 September 2018 (World Suicide Prevention Day) more than 130 British celebrities and campaigners called for an end to the phrase "commit suicide", instead preferring the term "die by suicide". The letter was backed by Samaritans, mental health charity Mind, Members of Parliament from all political parties, London Mayor Sadiq Khan, June Sarpong, Stephen Fry, Zoe Ball and others.[31][32]

LGBTQ+ people

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LGBTQ+ people suffer disproportionately higher mental health problems and risk of suicide than non-LGBTQ+ people in the UK.[33][34] Reports have found greater degrees of self-harming, suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts among UK LGBTQ+ people than among heterosexual non-trans people in the UK.[33][34]

See also

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General

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References

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  1. ^ "Health status - Suicide rates - OECD Data". Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Suicides in the UK - Office for National Statistics". www.ons.gov.uk. Office for National Statistics. 19 December 2023. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
  3. ^ "Probable suicides 2022" (PDF). nrscotland.gov.uk. National Records of Scotland. 5 September 2023. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
  4. ^ "Suicide Statistics in Northern Ireland, 2002 – 2022" (PDF). nisra.gov.uk. Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA). 13 December 2023. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
  5. ^ "Men urged to talk about mental health to prevent suicide". www.gov.uk. GOV.UK. 24 June 2022. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  6. ^ McIntosh, Steven (14 June 2024). "Silent Men film asks why so many still struggle to open up". BBC News. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  7. ^ Parmenter, Tom (24 May 2023). "'Everyone deserves help': Survivor backs suicide support in every workplace". Sky News. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  8. ^ Johal, Navtej (25 June 2024). "Your Voice, Your Vote: More help needed for mental health". BBC News. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  9. ^ "Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Mental Health, Inequalities and Suicide Prevention - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  10. ^ "UK Suicide Rate Amongst Males Reaches 10-Year High In 2011 And Overall Number Rises 'Significantly'". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
  11. ^ "Middle-aged men and suicide".
  12. ^ "Crime". Biteback, 2013.
  13. ^ a b "Suicides in the UK - Office for National Statistics". www.ons.gov.uk. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  14. ^ "Suicide methods". University of Oxford (Centre for Suicide Research). Retrieved 19 March 2013.
  15. ^ Professor of Health and Mental Health Columbia University Barbara Berkman Helen Rehr/Ruth Fizdale Chair (11 January 2006). Handbook of Social Work in Health and Aging. Oxford University Press. p. 151. ISBN 978-0-19-803873-3. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
  16. ^ a b c d e f Suicides in the UK: 2017 registrations. Office for National Statistics. Published 4 September 2018. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  17. ^ Nancy J. Osgood (1992). Suicide in Later Life: Recognizing the Warning Signs. Lexington Books. p. 135. ISBN 978-0-669-21214-3. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
  18. ^ J. Mark G. Williams (2001). Suicide and Attempted Suicide: Understanding the Cry of Pain. Mark Williams. p. 188. ISBN 978-0-14-100561-4. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
  19. ^ N Kreitman (June 1976). "The coal gas story. United Kingdom suicide rates, 1960-71". Br J Prev Soc Med. 30 (2): 86–93. doi:10.1136/jech.30.2.86. PMC 478945. PMID 953381.
  20. ^ International Association for Suicide Prevention. Congress (1 January 2004). Suicide Prevention: Meeting the Challenge Together. Orient Blackswan. p. 66. ISBN 978-81-250-2553-5. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
  21. ^ Meikle, James (22 January 2013). "Alarm at rise in UK suicide rate". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
  22. ^ "'Devastating' increase in Scotland's suicide rate". BBC News. 26 June 2019.
  23. ^ "The men most at risk from suicide in Scotland". BBC News. 9 September 2019.
  24. ^ Suicides in the UK: 2018 registrations. Office for National Statistics. Published 4 September 2018. Retrieved 2019-09-29.
  25. ^ "Who We Are". Papyrus. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
  26. ^ "Suicide prevention groups". patient.info. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
  27. ^ "Suicide prevention strategy backed by £1.5m". The Guardian. London. 10 September 2012. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
  28. ^ "Facebook partners with suicide prevention project". Wired.
  29. ^ "PM pledges action on suicide to mark World Mental Health Day". GOV.UK. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  30. ^ "Best practice suicide reporting tips". Samaritans.
  31. ^ "We Need To Stop Using This Word When Talking About Suicide". Refinery29. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  32. ^ "Stop saying 'commit suicide', urge celebrities and campaigners". Independent. 10 September 2018. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  33. ^ a b Clayton, Hannah (8 October 2020). "Why is the LGBTQ+ community disproportionately affected by mental health problems and suicide?". gmmh.nhs.uk. Greater Manchester Mental Health. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  34. ^ a b "LGBTIQ+ people: statistics". mentalhealth.org.uk. Mental Health Foundation. Retrieved 25 September 2024.

Further reading

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