Suicide in the United Kingdom

The Office for National Statistics defines suicide as deaths from intentional self-harm (where a coroner has given a suicide conclusion or made it clear in the narrative conclusion that the deceased intended to end their own life) and events of undetermined intent (mainly deaths where a coroner has given an open conclusion) in people aged 15 and over, and also (since 2016) deaths from intentional self-harm in children aged 10 to 14. This definition will include more deaths than the definition used in other countries. == Dynamics ==

Researchers and sociologists have identified several causes for the high rate of suicide in the United Kingdom; these include recent recessions, unemployment, austerity measures and loneliness. Research undertaken by Samaritans agree that socio-economic status tends to be the main cause, as it is for other groups. Relationship breakdown is another factor as they are often relying on a female partner for emotional support and are more likely to have access to their children restricted. However, less attention has been paid to situational factors - the fact that opportunity is a decisive factor in many suicides. Major reductions in UK suicide resulted from the introduction of North Sea gas, replacing much more toxic coal gas, and by limiting the supply of over-the-counter painkillers like paracetamol and co-proxamol. Approximately 1 to 2% of the UK population is autistic, yet a study conducted of suicides in England from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2017 and published in The British Journal of Psychiatry in 2022, found that 10% of those who died by suicide had elevated autistic traits. Suicidal ideation and death by suicide is more common in autistic people than non-autistic people. In 2024 it was reported that in the UK one in three autistic people have experienced suicidal ideation and almost one in four have attempted suicide. Autistic people have also been found to be seven times more likely to die by suicide than non-autistic people, with suicide as one of the leading causes of death for autistic people. == Common methods ==

The most common method used in England and Wales is hanging, accounting for 59.4% of male and 45% of female suicides. Other suicides reported often include self-poisoning. Suicide using firearms accounts for only a very small fraction, possibly due to tight gun control, meaning very few households in the UK possess them (4 percent). Hanging is the most common method used by women, closely followed by self poisoning. Inhalation of domestic gas was the most common method of suicide during the mid-twentieth century. It was completely eliminated by the 1990s as a result of the replacement of coal gas containing toxic carbon monoxide by the non-poisonous natural gas. Later, suicide by inhalation of carbon monoxide from car exhausts became common, but has declined since the introduction of catalytic converters. == Statistics ==

Age-standardised rates generally fell between 1981 and 2007. In terms of the male suicide rate specifically, 2017 was statistically the lowest rate recorded by the ONS since 1981, at 15.5 deaths per 100,000 (4,382 suicides). In January 2013, MPs expressed concern at a rise in the number of suicides over the preceding years. The suicide rate of 11.2 deaths per 100,000 population recorded by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in 2018 is an increase on the 10.1 per 100,000 population recorded in 2017, which was the lowest since the organisation began recording data on suicide in the United Kingdom in 1981. In 1981 the ONS recorded the UK suicide rate as 14.7 deaths per 100,000. with men most at risk. 74.1% of suicides in England and Wales in 2022 were males. The suicide rate in 2024 was the highest since 1999, while also being the highest rate for males since 1999 and the highest rate for females since 1994. In England, London had the lowest suicide rate in 2024, while North West England had the highest. The survey also found that 74% of LGBT+ young adults surveyed had experienced suicidal thoughts or feelings, compared to 43% of non-LGBT+ young adults surveyed. Reports have found greater degrees of self-harming, suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts among UK LGBTQ+ people than among heterosexual non-trans people in the UK. The report said the age group with the lowest suspected suicide rate in England for that period was those aged 10 to 24 (the report only recorded those aged 10 and above). The report also indicated that suspected suicides in England during this time span were highest in January 2024. File:Suicides in England and Wales per 100000 population.svg|alt=|Suicide rate in England and Wales per 100,000 population File:Percentage of deaths in the United Kingdom which were suicides.svg|alt=|Suicides as a percentage of total deaths in the United Kingdom File:Suicide death rate per 100,000 population in the United Kingdom.svg|alt=|Suicide rate per 100,000 people File:Proportion of suicides by method in England and Wales.svg|Proportion of suicides by method in England and Wales File:Age specific suicide rate per 100000 males in England and Wales.svg|Suicide rate of males by age group in England and Wales File:Age specific suicide rate per 100000 females in England and Wales.svg|Suicide rate of females of different age groups in England and Wales == Suicide prevention ==

near a payphone in the United Kingdom Within the UK there are various organisations providing free mental health support. The National Health Service (NHS) is the main provider of a range of mental health services, including 24/7 mental health crisis lines. There are also prominent charities providing support via free helplines including Samaritans, the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) and Inner Allies (previously named Mind Allies). The government of the United Kingdom and a number of international and national organizations have undertaken a variety of efforts and initiatives to prevent suicides. There are different associations that provide help and suggestions to suicidal people. Some notable organisations include Grassroots Suicide Prevention (who developed the first UK suicide prevention app - Stay Alive), Papyrus (a suicide prevention group founded in 1997 by Jean Kerr – who lost her son to suicide), Maytree (a sanctuary for the suicidal), and U can cope. In 2012, the United Kingdom government decided to spend £1.5 million to develop planning and strategies on preventing suicides. In January 2013, the social networking site Facebook started a partnership with suicide-prevention organisation "Save.org" to provide data that will be used to identify warning signs of people at risk of suicide. The service became live in the UK in 2016. On 10 October 2018, the Prime Minister, Theresa May, announced the UK's first Minister for Suicide Prevention. == Terminology ==

There have been calls in the UK to change the language used around the topic of suicide, particularly the use of the phrase "commit suicide". The phrase is seen by some as suggesting suicide is a criminal act, thereby enforcing a notion of legal wrongdoing in the same way as "committing rape" or "committing murder". The mainstream UK media currently observes the practice of avoiding the phrase "commit suicide" in line with the media reporting guidelines published by suicide prevention charity Samaritans, who refer to it as "inappropriate language". On 10 September 2018 (World Suicide Prevention Day) more than 130 British celebrities and campaigners called for an end to the phrase "commit suicide", instead preferring the term "die by suicide". The letter was backed by Samaritans, mental health charity Mind, Members of Parliament from all political parties, London Mayor Sadiq Khan, June Sarpong, Stephen Fry, Zoe Ball and others. == See also ==