Money worries driving middle class to suicide

THE pressures of the economic downturn have driven more Scots in the ‘squeezed middle’ to suicide.

The recession and its aftermath have seen hard-pressed working families hit by redundancies, rising taxes and soaring household bills.

Now official statistics show self-inflicted deaths in the 45 to 64 age group at a record high – and the rate is growing faster among the better-off than the poorest.

Andrew Sim, executive director of Samaritans Scotland, said: ‘People who are unemployed are two to three times more likely to take their own lives than those in employment, however, tough economic conditions can also leave those still in work feeling threatened.’

He said men in all income groups who believed they were failing to provide for their families could feel a sense of ‘shame and defeat’, while there was also a stigma about suffering from depression.

The latest NHS statistics show that, last year, 762 Scots took their own lives – down 1 per cent on 2011. But behind the headline data lies a disturbing story of hard-working family men and women being driven to despair by financial pressures.

In the 45-64 age bracket, there were an unprecedented 300 deaths last year, up 12 per cent from the figure of 267 at the start of the recession.

Suicide among the middle classes is also increasing. Between 2008 and 2012, in the fourth, fifth and sixth wealthiest brackets out of a range of ten, 1,099 killed themselves, up 7 per cent from 1,031 on the previous five years. That compares with drops of 5 per cent among the most comfortable section of society (down from 675 to 641) and 3 per cent among the poorest (down from 2,230 to 2,164).

Since 2008, suicide cases among under-45s have dropped 22 per cent from 480 to 375 and, among the elderly, 19 per cent from 89 to 72.

The figures reveal a hotspot in and around the capital. Suicides in Edinburgh and the Lothians rose 21 per cent from 524 to 635, compared with a national fall of 2 per cent from 3,994 to 3,904.

Since the economic crisis hit in 2008, disposable income has fallen in real terms by 5 per cent, with families around £1,600 worse off, while the number of unemployed has risen by around 15 per cent. The knockon effect has been an estimated 400 Scots plunging into bankruptcy every week and thousands of families facing the threat of homelessness due to mortgage default.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘While there is no research data to show a direct link between the recession and suicide rates, there are various actions already in place in Scotland to tackle suicide which are aimed at the general population, no matter the background of individuals.’

If you or a family member have contemplated suicide, please contact the Samaritans on 08457 909090.