A message from CALM on the latest ONS stats.
In 2021, more people in England and Wales died by suicide than the year before. As a suicide prevention organisation, that’s something we never want to have to say.
The Office for National Statistics released suicide data for England and Wales. It shows that 6.9% more deaths by suicide were registered than in 2020 - returning to pre pandemic levels. With men accounting for 75% of all suicides, and worryingly females under 24 showing the biggest increase since records began. Each of the 5,583 deaths registered in 2021 represents a real person. A life with hopes and dreams and people that loved them. We need to do more as a society to prevent suicide.
And that message is more important than ever, slap bang in the middle of a cost of living crisis. Yesterday’s release reconfirms what organisations like CALM already know to be true. If we want these tragic numbers to decrease, real change is needed. Urgently.
There’s loads we as individuals can do to help our mates, family and colleagues, and even to change the culture that has historically made suicide so hard to talk about. But it takes more than that. We need dedicated government action that covers housing, education, health, money, and employment if we truly want to see change. Right now, not enough is being done.
Back in 2018 CALM campaigned to put suicide prevention on the national agenda by instating the world’s first Minister for Suicide Prevention. Sounds impressive, right? Right. Sadly, that’s pretty much as far as it went. 4 years and a global pandemic later, the post has been absorbed into the Minister of State for Care and Mental Health’s responsibilities and woefully ignored.
Wendy Robinson CALM’s head of services is clear that more needs to be done across society to make a meaningful reduction in the lives lost to suicide every week.
“We know the risk factors associated with suicide, so we need to be proactively taking actions to address them
“It's about all of us, as a society and as a country, being dedicated to making sure those risk factors are reduced - investing in education, welfare, affordable housing, and ensuring everyone has access to mental health support before they’re at crisis point.
“Yes, we need to talk more and connect with those around us, but more than anything we need strong leadership from the government to make a real difference. Suicide prevention should be high on the new prime minister’s agenda.”
But that isn’t happening. In 2021, around 8 million people in England struggling with their mental health did not qualify for the support they needed - leaving NHS services with no option but to directly signpost to charities like our own in order to bridge the gap. In 2021 alone the CALM helpline received 276,648 calls for help across a range of issues including financial stress, anxiety, addiction and relationships.