Suicide in the United Kingdom

Suicide is a significant national social issue in the United Kingdom. In 2018 there were 6,507 registered deaths by suicide in the United Kingdom, equating to an average of 18 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, including the establishment of a new post, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Mental Health, Inequalities and Suicide Prevention).[3]

In October 2018, Jackie Doyle-Price was appointed Minister for Suicide Prevention and Mental Health on World Mental Health Day.[4]

Definition

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 kill themselves) 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

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.[5] 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.[6]

Common methods

The most common method used in the United Kingdom is hanging, accounting for 59.4% of male and 45% of female suicides.[1] Other suicides reported often include self-poisoning.[7] 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).[8] Hanging is the most common method used by women, closely followed by self poisoning.[9]

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.[10][11][12] Later, suicide by inhalation of carbon monoxide from car exhausts became common, but has declined since the introduction of catalytic converters.[13]

Statistics

A map showing the prevalence of suicide in England and Wales, 1872–1876.

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.[9] 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.[9]

6,507 people died by suicide in 2018, significantly more than in 2017.[1] In January 2013, MPs expressed concern at a rise in the number of suicides over the preceding years.[14]

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.[9]

In 2019, the 15% increase in the suicide rate in Scotland was described as "devastating,"[15] with men most at risk.[16]

Suicide rate
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[9][17]

Age standardised suicide rate
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[9]

Suicide prevention

Sign promoting Samaritans near a payphone in the United Kingdom

The UK is home to 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 1997 by Jean Kerr – who lost her son to suicide),[18] Maytree (a sanctuary for the suicidal), and U can cope.[19]

In 2012, the United Kingdom government decided to spend £1.5 million to develop planning and strategies on preventing suicides.[20] 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.[21]

On 10 October 2018, the Prime Minister, Theresa May, announced the UK's first Minister for Suicide Prevention.[22]

Terminology

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 wrongly suggesting suicide is a criminal act, thereby enforcing a notion of legal wrongdoing in the same way as "committing rape" or "committing murder". Suicide has not been illegal in England and Wales since the Suicide Act 1961, and has never been illegal in Scotland.[23]

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".[24]

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.[25][26]

See also

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

General:

• Mental health in the United Kingdom

References

1. "Suicides in the UK - Office for National Statistics". www.ons.gov.uk. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
2. Male suicide: 'His death was the missing piece of the jigsaw'. BBC News. Published 28 March 2018. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
3. "Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Mental Health, Inequalities and Suicide Prevention - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
4. "World Mental Health Day: PM appoints suicide prevention minister". BBC. 10 October 2018. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
5. "UK Suicide Rate Amongst Males Reaches 10-Year High In 2011 And Overall Number Rises 'Significantly'". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
6. https://www.samaritans.org/scotland/about-samaritans/research-policy/middle-aged-men-suicide/
7. "Suicide methods". University of Oxford (Centre for Suicide Research). Retrieved 19 March 2013.
8. 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.
9. Suicides in the UK: 2017 registrations. Office for National Statistics. Published 4 September 2018. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. N Kreitman (June 1976). "The coal gas story. United Kingdom suicide rates, 1960-71". Br J Prev Soc Med. 30: 86–93. doi:10.1136/jech.30.2.86. PMC 478945. PMID 953381.
13. 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.
14. Meikle, James (22 January 2013). "Alarm at rise in UK suicide rate". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
15. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-48770610
16. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-49607078
17. Suicides in the UK: 2018 registrations. Office for National Statistics. Published 4 September 2018. Retrieved 2019-09-29.
18. "Who We Are". Papyrus. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
19. "Suicide prevention groups". patient.info. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
20. "Suicide prevention strategy backed by £1.5m". The Guardian. London. 10 September 2012. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
21. "Facebook partners with suicide prevention project". Wired. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
22. "PM pledges action on suicide to mark World Mental Health Day". GOV.UK. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
23. "When suicide was illegal". BBC. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
24. "Best practice suicide reporting tips". Samaritans. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
25. "We Need To Stop Using This Word When Talking About Suicide". Refinery29. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
26. "Stop saying 'commit suicide', urge celebrities and campaigners". Independent. Retrieved 14 October 2018.