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Suicide in the United Kingdom

Suicide is a significant national social issue in the United Kingdom. In 2017 there were approximately 5,821 registered deaths by suicide in the United Kingdom, equating to an average of 16 suicides per day in the country.^[1] Suicide is the single biggest killer of men under the age of 45 in the country.^[2]

Governmental and other organisations have created different initiatives to attempt to prevent suicides in the country.

Dynamics

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. Research undertaken by The Samaritans suggested that mental-health issues of middle-aged men and loss of masculine pride and identity are also major factors behind the high rate of suicide.^[3]

Common methods

The most common method used in the United Kingdom is hanging. Other suicides reported often include self-poisoning.^[4] 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 per cent).^[5] Self poisoning and overdosing are the common methods used by women.^[6]

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.^[7][8][9] Later, suicide by inhalation of carbon monoxide from car exhausts became common, but has declined since the introduction of catalytic converters.^[10]

Statistics

This section needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (September 2018)

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.^[11] 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.^[12]

5,965 people aged 10 and over died by suicide in 2016, a decrease from 6,188 deaths in 2015.^[11] In January 2013, MPs expressed concern at a rise in the number of suicides over the preceding years.^[13]

The suicide rate of 10.1 deaths per 100,000 population recorded by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in 2017 is the lowest since the 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.^[14]

Suicide prevention

The UK is home to the Samaritans, one of the first charities focused on suicide prevention. Anyone can call the Samaritans free of charge at any time.

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 Papyrus (a suicide prevention group founded in 1995 by a group of parents whose own children committed suicide), Maytree (a sanctuary for the suicidal), and U can cope.^[15]

In 2012, the United Kingdom government decided to spend £1.5 million to develop planning and strategies on preventing suicides.^[16] 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.^[17]

See also

• Campaign Against Living Miserably, UK charity
• Suicide Act 1961

General:

• Mental health in the United Kingdom

References

Template:Suicide by country