New report shows suicide rate
for young men is continuing to fall steadily
The national suicide rate is at its lowest level since records began,
according to the third annual report of the National Suicide Prevention
Strategy. The report also shows a sustained drop in
the number of young men committing suicide - which is the first sustained
downward trend for 25 years - and a drop in the number of suicides
among prisoners and mental health in-patients.
The report shows the most recent suicide rate (for the 3 years 2002/3/4)
was 8.56 deaths per 100,000 population - a reduction of 6.6% from the
1995/6/7 baseline. The target is to reduce the suicide rate by at least
a fifth by the year 2010 (from the baseline rate of 9.2 deaths per
100,000 population in 1995/6/7 to 7.3 deaths per 100,000 population
in 2009/10/11).
The report, which was jointly produced by the Department of Health
and the National Institute for Mental Health in England (NIMHE), outlined
specific areas where progress is being made:
- the ongoing development of three mental health promotion pilots
aimed at young men in Camden, Manchester and Bedfordshire
- the commissioning of research into the risk of suicide and self
harm amongst lesbian, gay and bisexual people and a separate research
project looking at suicide risk amongst different ethnic minority
groups
- the phased withdrawal of the commonly prescribed painkiller co-proxamol
- the three centre study of deliberate self-harm to help provide
accurate data, trends and patterns to enable effective interventions
to be developed.
Health minister Rosie Winterton said:
" Suicide is a major cause of preventable death in England and
elsewhere. At a personal level, suicide is a terrible and needless
tragedy, and each death is a loss to society.
_ The sustained decline in the suicide
rate for young men is welcome. This shows that our suicide prevention
strategy is having a real impact
on the vulnerable people who most need help."
National director for mental health Professor Louis Appleby said:
" The fall in in-patient suicides is particularly encouraging
news. In-patient safety has been a real focus for the NHS, including
the introduction of specific measures such as better risk management,
appropriate care and treatment for people who self harm and removal
of ligature points from which hangings could occur.
_ Whilst these figures are positive,
we must work hard to ensure that this downward trend continues. Changes
in the suicide rate reflect
the mental health of the community and every action we take to improve
mental health services will help reduce these numbers further. "
Priorities for the next year include:
- developing and publishing guidance on actions to be taken at hotspots
for suicide
- improving the way suicide and suicidal behaviour is portrayed
in the media
- promoting the successful intervention measures arising out of
the evaluation of the mental health promotion pilots aimed at young
men
- publishing an information and support pack for people bereaved
by sudden traumatic death, including suicide
- encourage mental health services to provide early follow up
to high risk patients who are discharged from hospital
- implementing the NICE guidance on Depression and Self-harm
- continuing to implement Delivering Race Equality in Mental
Health Care, the five-year action plan for achieving
equality and tackling
discrimination
in mental health services in England
- taking forward the mental health promotion aspects of
the White Paper Choosing Health.
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those of IvyRose Ltd.. Material in this news item was released
by the UK Department of Health (England, UK),
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