Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
No suicide is truly inevitable
We should all be able to give help – and ask for it if needed says group chair
Nearly 60 people took their own lives in North Lanarkshire last year.
Stark new figures published by Public Health Scotland revealed that there were 57 probable suicides in the region in 2019.
Of these deaths, 45 were among men and 12 were among women.
This was a decrease of only one life from the previous year’s statistics.
In neighbouring South Lanarkshire, figures reached near-record levels in 2019 as the area recorded 55 probable suicides.
Of these deaths, 45 were among men and 10 were among women. The overall suicide rate across the region increased to 17.1 deaths per 100,000 in 2019, compared to 12.4 deaths per 100,000 in 2018.
Probable suicides include deaths from intentional self-harm and events of undetermined intent.
The figures represent the highest number of deaths from suicide in
South Lanarkshire since 2002 and the second-highest in the data published by Public Health Scotland which goes back to 1982.
In the five years from 2015 to 2019, 206 people took their own life in South Lanarkshire.
Across Scotland, 833 deaths by suicide were registered in 2019, an increase from 784 in 2018. While suicide rates for both men and women peak among those aged 45-54, the rate among young people aged 15-24 increased for the second consecutive year.
The probable suicide rate between the years 2015 and 2019 was three times higher in the most deprived areas compared to the least deprived areas.
The National Suicide Prevention Leadership Group ( NSPLG), set up in late 2018, is an independent group formed to advise on, and support delivery of, the Scottish Government’s Suicide Prevention Action Plan. The group includes those with lived, academic and professional experience.
NSPLG chair Rose Fitzpatrick said: “Every single one of the 833 deaths by suicide reported in the 2019 statistics released is a tragedy and its impact is widely felt. As members of Scotland’s National Suicide Prevention Leadership Group we believe that every life matters and extend our heartfelt condolences to each of those families and friends who have lost a loved one to suicide.
“Suicide is a complex issue and one which, as the six per cent increase reported ( following a 15 per cent increase in 2018) shows all too clearly, continues to challenge us in Scotland and elsewhere to do more to support the wellbeing, mental health and life circumstances of those at risk.
“We must, of course, take care not to over-interpret a single year’s data, but we also see that while men continue to make up three-quarters of those lost to suicide, last year saw an increase in the rate of suicide among young people in their early 20s. We strongly believe that no loss of life to suicide should be considered inevitable and that every one of us can help.
“This news shows that now more than ever we need to encourage people of all ages to talk about suicide, to be able to ask for help and to feel confident to give help when it is needed.
“Since the period to which these figures relate we have launched a new public awareness campaign for Scotland called United To
Prevent Suicide, to help change the conversation and reduce the stigma about suicide. It aims to give every one of us the opportunity to play our part in supporting family, friends or colleagues who need to talk about suicide.”
And she added: “Suicide prevention has never been more important. While these figures predate Covid- 19, the pandemic is likely to have a long-term impact on wellbeing and mental health as people’s lives change.
“For that reason, we have recommended, and the Scottish Government will now take forward, the creation of a long- term suicide prevention strategy which includes but goes beyond mental health to address issues affecting people’s life circumstances, such as equalities, employment and the economy. As these figures show, it remains the case that the tragedy of suicide is three times more likely to occur among those living in the most deprived areas of Scotland than it is in the least deprived.”