Great Britain. Department of Health and Social Care
Publication year:
2022
Pagination:
13
Place of publication:
London
This paper summarises data on suicide from the Office for National Statistics' (ONS) data on Suicide in England and Wales, National Records of Scotland’s Probable Suicides dataset, and Northern Ireland data published by NISRA. It includes trends by gender, age, English region, and deprivation. In 2020 there were 6,319 deaths registered in Great Britain where the cause was recorded as suicide. Relative to the size of the population, the suicide rate in England and Wales has declined by 28% since 1981. Most of this fall occurred before 2000. In 2021 the rate was higher than it had been in 2005-2012 and 2016-2017. Suicide in England and Wales is three times more common among men than among women. The gap between sexes has increased over time. The suicide rate among women has approximately halved since 1981, while the rate among men has reduced by 17%. Risk of suicide in England and Wales is highest among people aged between 45 and 54 and lowest among people aged under 20 and over 70. The chart below shows data for five-year age groups in 2021, broken down additionally by sex. People living in the most deprived areas of England have a higher risk of suicide than those living in the least deprived areas. The suicide rate in the most deprived 10% of areas (‘decile’) in 2017-2019 was 14.1 per 100,000, which is almost double the rate of 7.4 in the least deprived decile. In the three years from 2019 to 2021, the suicide rate was higher in the North East and Yorkshire & Humber regions than other parts of England. London had the lowest suicide rate. The suicide rate has fallen in all regions, but the fall has been larger in some regions than others. In London the rate fell by 56% since 1981-1983, while in the North East the rate fell by 9%.
(Edited publisher abstract)
This paper summarises data on suicide from the Office for National Statistics' (ONS) data on Suicide in England and Wales, National Records of Scotland’s Probable Suicides dataset, and Northern Ireland data published by NISRA. It includes trends by gender, age, English region, and deprivation. In 2020 there were 6,319 deaths registered in Great Britain where the cause was recorded as suicide. Relative to the size of the population, the suicide rate in England and Wales has declined by 28% since 1981. Most of this fall occurred before 2000. In 2021 the rate was higher than it had been in 2005-2012 and 2016-2017. Suicide in England and Wales is three times more common among men than among women. The gap between sexes has increased over time. The suicide rate among women has approximately halved since 1981, while the rate among men has reduced by 17%. Risk of suicide in England and Wales is highest among people aged between 45 and 54 and lowest among people aged under 20 and over 70. The chart below shows data for five-year age groups in 2021, broken down additionally by sex. People living in the most deprived areas of England have a higher risk of suicide than those living in the least deprived areas. The suicide rate in the most deprived 10% of areas (‘decile’) in 2017-2019 was 14.1 per 100,000, which is almost double the rate of 7.4 in the least deprived decile. In the three years from 2019 to 2021, the suicide rate was higher in the North East and Yorkshire & Humber regions than other parts of England. London had the lowest suicide rate. The suicide rate has fallen in all regions, but the fall has been larger in some regions than others. In London the rate fell by 56% since 1981-1983, while in the North East the rate fell by 9%.
(Edited publisher abstract)
This report presents data on deaths from probable suicide among persons aged 5-24 years, registered with the National Records of Scotland (NRS) during the calendar years 2011 to 2020. The data reveals that a quarter (25.7%) of all deaths among 5-24-year-olds were probable suicides. This compares to 1.2% of all deaths among those aged 25 and over. The average suicide rate among 5-24-year-olds was 6.6 deaths per 100,000 people over the period 2011 to 2020. This was significantly lower than the average suicide rate of 17.5 deaths per 100,000 people among those aged 25 and over. There is a significantly increasing linear trend in suicides in 5-24-year-olds as a proportion of all suicides across the period 2011 to 2020. The suicide rate among 5-24-year-olds decreased in the first half of the 10- year period from 8.1 per 100,000 people in 2011 to a low of 4.4 per 100,000 people in 2015, before increasing to a high of 9.2 per 100,000 people in 2019. The suicide rate in the 25+ age group followed a similar pattern. Hanging, strangulation and suffocation was the most commonly used method overall, and among males in both age groups and women aged 15-24 years. The use of this method was significantly more prevalent among 5-24-year-olds (63.9% of deaths) than among people aged 25 and over (45.9% of deaths). In contrast, deaths from self-poisoning were significantly less prevalent (18.2% and 31.0%, respectively). 5-24-year-olds were significantly less likely to have had contact with a healthcare service in the period before death than people aged 25 and over. Overall, 65.6% of 5-24-year-olds had contact compared to 79.8% of those aged 25+. Across the 5-24 age group, suicide was the leading cause of death, accounting for a greater proportion of lives lost (25.7%) than accidental poisonings (14.1%) and land transport accidents (10.1%). Suicide was also the leading cause of death in the 10-14, 15-19 and 20-24 age groups, considered separately.
(Edited publisher abstract)
This report presents data on deaths from probable suicide among persons aged 5-24 years, registered with the National Records of Scotland (NRS) during the calendar years 2011 to 2020. The data reveals that a quarter (25.7%) of all deaths among 5-24-year-olds were probable suicides. This compares to 1.2% of all deaths among those aged 25 and over. The average suicide rate among 5-24-year-olds was 6.6 deaths per 100,000 people over the period 2011 to 2020. This was significantly lower than the average suicide rate of 17.5 deaths per 100,000 people among those aged 25 and over. There is a significantly increasing linear trend in suicides in 5-24-year-olds as a proportion of all suicides across the period 2011 to 2020. The suicide rate among 5-24-year-olds decreased in the first half of the 10- year period from 8.1 per 100,000 people in 2011 to a low of 4.4 per 100,000 people in 2015, before increasing to a high of 9.2 per 100,000 people in 2019. The suicide rate in the 25+ age group followed a similar pattern. Hanging, strangulation and suffocation was the most commonly used method overall, and among males in both age groups and women aged 15-24 years. The use of this method was significantly more prevalent among 5-24-year-olds (63.9% of deaths) than among people aged 25 and over (45.9% of deaths). In contrast, deaths from self-poisoning were significantly less prevalent (18.2% and 31.0%, respectively). 5-24-year-olds were significantly less likely to have had contact with a healthcare service in the period before death than people aged 25 and over. Overall, 65.6% of 5-24-year-olds had contact compared to 79.8% of those aged 25+. Across the 5-24 age group, suicide was the leading cause of death, accounting for a greater proportion of lives lost (25.7%) than accidental poisonings (14.1%) and land transport accidents (10.1%). Suicide was also the leading cause of death in the 10-14, 15-19 and 20-24 age groups, considered separately.
(Edited publisher abstract)
Subject terms:
young people, children, mental health problems, suicide, self-harm;
Suicide statistics for people aged 15 years and over in the UK, Wales, and England and the English regions are set out in this statistical bulletin. The bulletin presents figures for deaths registered in 2011, with data for 1981 to 2010 included to allow comparison. It covers age-specific suicide rates, male and female suicide rates, hospital admissions for intentional self-harm or an event
Suicide statistics for people aged 15 years and over in the UK, Wales, and England and the English regions are set out in this statistical bulletin. The bulletin presents figures for deaths registered in 2011, with data for 1981 to 2010 included to allow comparison. It covers age-specific suicide rates, male and female suicide rates, hospital admissions for intentional self-harm or an event of undetermined intent, and the potential impact of the use of narrative verdicts by coroners on suicide rates. It reports that there were 6,045 suicides in people aged 15 and over in the UK in 2011, an increase of 437 compared with 2010.
Key statistical data on suicide in England, highlighting trends and rates by gender, number of suicides by people in contact with mental health services, inpatient suicides, self-inflicted deaths in prison, apparent suicides following police custody, and deaths mentioning helium poisoning. There were 4,727 suicides recorded in 2013, a rise of 214 since 2012. The overall trend in the suicide rates has been decreasing since 1998 until 2008 but has been rising slightly since. The three-year average rate for 2011-13 was 8.8 suicides per 100,000 general population.
(Edited publisher abstract)
Key statistical data on suicide in England, highlighting trends and rates by gender, number of suicides by people in contact with mental health services, inpatient suicides, self-inflicted deaths in prison, apparent suicides following police custody, and deaths mentioning helium poisoning. There were 4,727 suicides recorded in 2013, a rise of 214 since 2012. The overall trend in the suicide rates has been decreasing since 1998 until 2008 but has been rising slightly since. The three-year average rate for 2011-13 was 8.8 suicides per 100,000 general population.
(Edited publisher abstract)
Subject terms:
suicide, death, mental health problems, prisons, hospitals, self-harm, gender;
... in 1999 to 13.6% in 2017 – the latest data from 2020 suggest that young people’s mental health has further deteriorated; similar to mental disorders, rates of self-harm and attempted suicide among the adolescent population are increasing, with reported self-harm having increased from 5.3% in 2000 to 13.7% in 2014 (11–16-year-olds); while these increases over the last two decades may reflect more
(Edited publisher abstract)
This briefing provides data on the prevalence of mental disorders among adolescents, aged 11–19 years, in England, including data gathered during the Covid-19 national lockdown. Key points include: more than one in seven young people (15.3%) aged 11–19 in England had at least one mental disorder in 2017; a follow-up survey carried out during the Covid-19 lockdown (July 2020) indicates that one in six young people (17.6%) aged 11–16 years were identified as having a probable mental disorder – this figure increases to one in five (20.0%) among young adults aged 17–22; emotional disorders such as anxiety and depression are the most common mental disorders experienced by young people; the rate of mental disorders among 11–15-year-olds in England seems to be increasing, having risen from 11.4% in 1999 to 13.6% in 2017 – the latest data from 2020 suggest that young people’s mental health has further deteriorated; similar to mental disorders, rates of self-harm and attempted suicide among the adolescent population are increasing, with reported self-harm having increased from 5.3% in 2000 to 13.7% in 2014 (11–16-year-olds); while these increases over the last two decades may reflect more accurate reporting, they may also represent an increase in prevalence rates; the increasing concern around young people’s mental health, particularly in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic, highlight the need for immediate action to support young people most at risk; early intervention, including promotion and prevention strategies, has the potential to produce the greatest impact on young people’s mental health and wellbeing by taking action before mental health problems worsen and preventing the onset of mental disorders.
(Edited publisher abstract)
Subject terms:
Covid-19, children, young people, mental health problems, anxiety, depression, self-harm, suicide, early intervention;
This publication draws on data from AssetPlus, an assessment and planning framework used with children by Youth Offending Teams and secure establishments across England and Wales. The report focuses on a small subset of data, relating to assessed concern types (factors that practitioners judge to be affecting the child, covering their wellbeing, how they relate to other people, social factors and issues at home or their own behaviours); care status types, looking at the child’s current and previous care history; as well as the four ratings for both Safety and Wellbeing (risk that a child’s safety and well-being is now or in the future potentially compromised) and Risk of Serious Harm (looking at the imminence and likelihood of death or serious personal injury whether physical or psychological). The data shows that a large proportion of children assessed had concerns present across most concern types, giving an indication of the vulnerability and complex needs of sentenced children within the Youth Justice System. Over 70% had a concern present for five of the 19 concern types, including safety and wellbeing, risk to others, substance misuse, speech, language and communication, and mental health. Crucially, over half of children assessed showed them to be a current or previous child in need. In the year ending March 2019, almost half of children assessed had a Medium Risk of Serious Harm rating, while 29% were rated as High or Very High – as the sentence type severity increased so did the proportion of children that had a High or Very High Risk of Serious Harm rating.
(Edited publisher abstract)
This publication draws on data from AssetPlus, an assessment and planning framework used with children by Youth Offending Teams and secure establishments across England and Wales. The report focuses on a small subset of data, relating to assessed concern types (factors that practitioners judge to be affecting the child, covering their wellbeing, how they relate to other people, social factors and issues at home or their own behaviours); care status types, looking at the child’s current and previous care history; as well as the four ratings for both Safety and Wellbeing (risk that a child’s safety and well-being is now or in the future potentially compromised) and Risk of Serious Harm (looking at the imminence and likelihood of death or serious personal injury whether physical or psychological). The data shows that a large proportion of children assessed had concerns present across most concern types, giving an indication of the vulnerability and complex needs of sentenced children within the Youth Justice System. Over 70% had a concern present for five of the 19 concern types, including safety and wellbeing, risk to others, substance misuse, speech, language and communication, and mental health. Crucially, over half of children assessed showed them to be a current or previous child in need. In the year ending March 2019, almost half of children assessed had a Medium Risk of Serious Harm rating, while 29% were rated as High or Very High – as the sentence type severity increased so did the proportion of children that had a High or Very High Risk of Serious Harm rating.
(Edited publisher abstract)
Subject terms:
youth justice, young offenders, looked after children, wellbeing, mental health problems, risk assessment, self-harm, sentences;
This report present key information and statistics on the reasons why children and young people contacted the ChildLine helpline and online line services during the period of 2012/13. It lists the top ten reasons for young people to contact ChildLine, and also provides a breakdowns by age and gender. Issues covered in more detail include: referrals, self-harm, suicidal issues, bullying, abuse,
This report present key information and statistics on the reasons why children and young people contacted the ChildLine helpline and online line services during the period of 2012/13. It lists the top ten reasons for young people to contact ChildLine, and also provides a breakdowns by age and gender. Issues covered in more detail include: referrals, self-harm, suicidal issues, bullying, abuse, sexual abuse, family relationships and depression and unhappiness.
Subject terms:
helplines, advice services, children, young people, self-harm, bullying, family relations, depression, child sexual abuse, referral;
... and self-harm, and comorbidity in mental and physical illness. Trends identified include: an increase in the numbers of women with common mental health disorders, with numbers in men remaining largely stable; young women emerging as a high-risk group, with high rates of common mental health disorders and self-harm. Most mental disorders were also more common in people living alone, people with poor physical
(Edited publisher abstract)
The fourth survey of the mental health of adults living in private households in England, which are carried out every seven years using a large representative sample of 7,500 people, including those who do not access services. The report presents estimates on prevalence and trends in mental health conditions and contains information on age, sex, ethnicity, employment and benefit status, region, household composition, and the level and nature of mental health treatment and service use. Chapters cover common mental health disorders, mental health treatment and service users, post-traumatic stress disorder, psychotic disorder, autistic spectrum disorder, personality disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, bipolar disorder, alcohol dependence, drug use and dependence, suicide attempts and self-harm, and comorbidity in mental and physical illness. Trends identified include: an increase in the numbers of women with common mental health disorders, with numbers in men remaining largely stable; young women emerging as a high-risk group, with high rates of common mental health disorders and self-harm. Most mental disorders were also more common in people living alone, people with poor physical health, and the unemployed.
(Edited publisher abstract)
Subject terms:
surveys, mental health problems, comorbidity, self-harm, substance misuse, bipolar disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, autistic spectrum conditions, attempted suicide, personality disorders, mental health services, service uptake, health inequalities;
The data covered in this report come from two sources: a survey which was carried out in 2000 and is a repeat of an earlier survey of adults living in private households, and a supplementary sample of people with psychosis identified through GP records held on the General Practice Rsearch Database. Overall, 91% of this sample of people with a psychotic illness were receiving some form of treatment, either medication or some form of counselling or therapy. Over half of this sample of people with psychotic disorder (56%) reported difficulties with one or more activities of daily living (ADL). Most of these (49% of the whole sample) said that they needed help to overcome at least one of these difficulties. In this sample of people with a psychotic disorder, a very high proportion of people, 70%, were economically inactive. Just over a quarter (27%) were in paid employment, half of them full time and half part time. A large proportion of this sample of people with a psychotic illness were, or had been, smokers. Among this sample, 27% of respondents had an AUDIT score of 8 or more, that is, they were found to have a hazardous level of drinking in the year before interview. Over two-thirds (70%) of this sample of people with a psychotic illness had thought about suicide at some time in their lives and 45% had attempted suicide. In addition, 21% had harmed themselves without intending to commit suicide.
The data covered in this report come from two sources: a survey which was carried out in 2000 and is a repeat of an earlier survey of adults living in private households, and a supplementary sample of people with psychosis identified through GP records held on the General Practice Rsearch Database. Overall, 91% of this sample of people with a psychotic illness were receiving some form of treatment, either medication or some form of counselling or therapy. Over half of this sample of people with psychotic disorder (56%) reported difficulties with one or more activities of daily living (ADL). Most of these (49% of the whole sample) said that they needed help to overcome at least one of these difficulties. In this sample of people with a psychotic disorder, a very high proportion of people, 70%, were economically inactive. Just over a quarter (27%) were in paid employment, half of them full time and half part time. A large proportion of this sample of people with a psychotic illness were, or had been, smokers. Among this sample, 27% of respondents had an AUDIT score of 8 or more, that is, they were found to have a hazardous level of drinking in the year before interview. Over two-thirds (70%) of this sample of people with a psychotic illness had thought about suicide at some time in their lives and 45% had attempted suicide. In addition, 21% had harmed themselves without intending to commit suicide.
Subject terms:
income, medication, mental health problems, self-harm, severe mental health problems, social networks, smoking, suicide, statistical methods, activities of daily living, alcohol misuse, attempted suicide, community care, drug misuse;