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Suicide Prevention & Awareness

What is Suicide

Suicide is when someone ends their own life. It’s a very tragic response to difficult situations and feelings, perhaps most tragic because it is preventable. Thousands of people in the UK end their lives by suicide each year.

Having suicidal thoughts doesn’t mean that someone has a mental illness, but there is a connection between mental ill health and suicidal thoughts.  Suicidal thoughts and feelings can be complex, frightening, confusing and lonely.

There is no single reason for why people die by suicide. Social, psychological and cultural factors can contribute to a person being at greater risk of suicide.  Learning about the possible risk factors linked to suicidal thoughts, along with how it can be prevented, may help you save a life. This may be someone else’s, or it may be your own life.

Guidance for Practitioners:

The Samaritans provide a guide to help you talk to people who could be at risk of suicide or self-harm about their online activity. Created with people with lived experience, you can access the guide by clicking the logo below:

The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) state that:

  • The suicide rate for males in England and Wales is the highest rate for males since 1999. Increased to 17.4 deaths per 100,000 in 2023, from 16.4 deaths per 100,000 in 2022.
  • The suicide rate for females in England and Wales is the highest rate for females since 1994. Increased to 5.7 deaths per 100,000 in 2023, from 5.4 deaths per 100,000 in 2022.
  • The age-specific suicide rate was highest for males aged 45 to 49 years (25.5 deaths per 100,000), and for females aged 50 to 54 years (9.2 deaths per 100,000).

It’s only partially understood why men are more likely to die by suicide than women. Research carried out by Samaritans found that:

  • Men tend to choose more lethal methods compared to women
  • Social expectations of masculinity may mean that men are less likely to seek help for suicidal thoughts compared to women
  • Men are significantly more affected by relationship breakdowns compared to women

An under-researched area is suicide among transgender and non-binary people. According to the LGBTQIA+ charity Stonewall, almost half of trans people, 46%, have thought about taking their life in the last year.

Trans and non-binary people have to deal with specific risk factors as a minority community, such as stigma, prejudice and discrimination. Their experiences challenge current assumptions in our understanding of gender influencing suicide risk. Source – (mentalhealth-uk.org)

One Voice, One Hope (OVOH)

OVOH is a Collaborative Action Network (CAN) of people and organisations who share a commitment to preventing all preventable suicides.  OVOH aim to provide

  • A safe and supportive space, enabling your voice to be heard.
  • An environment, rooted in principles that matter: Respect, Humility, Trust, Compassion and Determination.
  • Themed Collaborative Action Groups (CAGs) – focused and action- centred groups, bringing together those who are willing to share experience, resources and insight.
  • The “Good Practices Hub” – a unique, national, online resource, accessible to all 4 nations of the UK, providing examples of good practice or emerging good practice in suicide prevention, intervention and postvention.
  • A Network – physical and online, events, meet ups, conferences and an online community space.

To find out more, click on the logo below:

Why Language Matters

NSPCC Learning has published a Why Language Matters blog exploring how the language we use to talk about suicide can make it easier, or harder, for children and young people to share how they’re feeling and access support. The blog discusses how the language of suicide can be accusatory and sometimes minimises what children and young people are going through. It highlights how rethinking language choices can help to reduce the stigma around suicide and support children who are struggling with suicidal thoughts or feelings.

To read the full blog visit: Why language matters: rethinking the language of suicide | NSPCC Learning

The Internet, Suicide & Self Harm – Free training webinar

Samaritans; a charity dedicated to reducing rates of suicide in the UK, are offering a free training webinar for practitioners on supporting someone who may be using the internet in relation to self harm or suicidal feelings.

During the webinar, you will learn:

  • How people use the internet in relation to self-harm and suicide
  • What the Online Safety Act means for self-harm and suicide content online
  • The role that practitioners can play in supporting people
  • How to talk to people about their online use
  • How Samaritans can support you in your role

To book a place visit the Samaritans Website.

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