Scotland’s National Suicide Leadership Prevention Group respond to 2020 deaths by probable suicide data
Representatives of the National Suicide Prevention Leadership group have responded to today’s release of data from National Records of Scotland for 2020 which shows a very small year on year decrease in deaths by probable suicide.
Statistics released by National Records of Scotland show that there were 805 probable suicides registered in 2020, a decrease of 3% on 2019 (which was up 6% on 2018).
This is, however, higher than the previous five-year average (739). Suicides decreased between 2011 and 2014, but have generally risen again since then.
Men accounted for 71% of probable suicides in 2020 (575), a 3% drop (which reflects a small increase in female suicide to 230).
Male suicide has reduced slightly in every age group apart from 35–44 years, which breaks a four-year trend of increases.
Female suicide has increased in many age groups, and is the highest annual total since 2011. Suicide in women aged 15–24 has reduced from last year, when it was the highest since records began.
Worryingly, 20% of all deaths by probable suicide involved people under the age of 30.
Probable suicide deaths were consistently above average between June and September of 2020. National Records of Scotland reports 28% more suicides than usual for those four months. Suicides in April and October were both lower than average.
The suicide rate in the period 2016–2020 was three and a half times higher in Scotland’s most deprived areas compared to the least deprived areas. While suicide rates are strongly related to deprivation level, this difference or inequality has decreased between 2006–10 and 2016–20.
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 CBE, QPM comments: “Today we’re thinking of every family who lost someone to suicide during 2020. Every one of these 805 deaths represent a tragedy.
“Whilst there has been a small decrease in deaths by probable suicide in 2020, which of course we welcome, we will never forget that every life matters. Suicide is preventable, and so the release of this data is a reminder that our work must continue to focus on giving everyone a role to play in saving lives.
“It’s also important to stress that we look at the data over the longer term. A single year of metrics cannot provide a clear picture of trends, and so we’ll be analysing today’s release with colleagues in our Academic Advisory Group to better understand the picture.
“This is particularly important in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, because we don’t yet fully understand the full scale of impacts if will have on people of all ages. The next wave of the Scottish Government’s Mental Health Tracker is due to be published soon. This will provide further insight into the wider state of people’s mental health across Scotland during the pandemic.
“Over the last few months, our NSPLG work has picked up significant pace, after the initial constraints caused by Covid-19.
“We’ve launched a new toolkit for every local authority in Scotland to help develop best practice suicide prevention action plans.
“A pilot project to support families bereaved by suicide has started in Ayrshire & Arran and Highland NHS board regions.
“We continue to be extremely concerned about the wellbeing of children and young people, and so we’re delighted that the Scottish Government has agreed funding for us to set up a Youth Advisory Group, so that the voices of young people can be heard as part of our suicide prevention planning.
“This will build on the impact of our Lived Experience Panel which has been formally recognised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as best practice in suicide prevention.
“In the coming months, a United to Prevent Suicide campaign for young people aged 16–19 will be co-produced with young people themselves. Before then a separate programme targeting men will use the power of sport to engage. Both will focus on one important message: talking saves lives.
“In due course another pilot project will see three local authorities start to review every death by probable suicide. Currently this only happens where a person has been engaged with a public agency in the year before their death.
“We fully support the decision of the Scottish Government to extend the delivery period for Scotland’s Suicide Prevention Action Plan, reflecting some of the challenges of the pandemic. This will provide time for the development of a new national suicide prevention strategy which NSPLG hopes will take the country through the next decade.
“The Scottish Government has accepted our recommendations, set out in our Covid-19 Statement last June, that the new strategy should focus on some of the wider social issues that can lead to poor mental health such as equalities, employment and the economy. Suicide continues to be three more times as likely to occur among those living in the most deprived areas of Scotland than it is in the least deprived areas.
“In receiving the data today for 2020, we are also reminded that there is a vital need to secure more timely access to more localised data. Doing so will enable better — and faster — decision making.
“Most of all today, however, we are thinking of all those who have lost their lives to suicide and those who grieve for them, and of how important it is that suicide prevention in Scotland is everyone’s business.”
Steve McHugh is part of NSPLG’s Lived Experience Panel. His son died by suicide in 2016.
He says: “It’s encouraging that the numbers are down on last year but the 2019 statistics were higher than previous years so the figures are still high in a longer-term aspect.
“As a volunteer on helplines I know that Covid related isolation and loneliness has been a factor in people’s mental health.
“The NSPLG campaigns will continue and our goal is to drive suicide rates even lower. None of these 805 deaths was inevitable and we are focused on that.
“The biggest risk factor for suicide is still being a man and we need better inroads to help men to open up about their feelings and vulnerabilities which can so often be a pathway to suicide ideation and attempts.
“I think my son’s suicide could have been prevented if we had a culture of being able to talk about mental health and suicide more openly.”
Steve Platt FAcSS, Emeritus Professor of Health Policy Research at University of Edinburgh and co-chair NSPLG Academic Advisory Group comments: “The biggest thing to stress is that we should never take one year of data in isolation.
“Data should also be looked at in the form of trends over a period of time to genuinely understand what the position actually is.
“For example, although this year’s data show a small decrease, the number of deaths is well above the previous five-year average.
“What we can summarise from this year’s statistics is that there are some grounds for optimism about trends in men, and some grounds for concern around women (although at least the prevailing trend in young women has not got worse) but as I say we must not over interpret.”
Learn more about Scotland’s suicide prevention public awareness campaign, United to Prevent Suicide, and join our social movement at unitedtopreventsuicide.org.uk.
National Records of Scotland have released complete data which can be viewed here.
If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health or feeling suicidal, please don’t hesitate to ask for help by contacting your GP, NHS24 on 111, Samaritans on 116 123 or Breathing Space on 0800 83 85 87.
