Number of suicides in UK increases, with male rate highest since 2001

The rate of suicides in the UK increased in 2013, with the level among males its highest since 2001 and middle-aged men most at risk, according to the latest data.

Figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that 6,233 suicides of people over the age of 15 were registered in 2013, 252 more than in 2012, which represents a 4% increase.

The UK suicide rate was 11.9 deaths per 100,000 people. The north-east had the highest rate in England at 13.8 deaths per 100,000, while London had the lowest with 7.9.

The male suicide rate has increased significantly since 2007, the ONS said, while female rates have stayed relatively constant and were consistently lower than those for men.

In 1981, 63% of UK suicides were male, but in 2013 the figure was 78%. The proportion of male to female deaths by suicide has increased steadily since 1981.

The UK suicide rate of 11.9 deaths per 100,000 population was last seen in 2004, it added.

“Hanging, strangulation and suffocation” was the most common method of suicide in 2013, accounting for 56.1% of male suicides and 40.2% of female suicides.

There had been a downward trend in the suicide rate between 1981 and 2007, but since then there has been a steady increase.

This was the first year that men aged 45 to 59 showed the highest suicide rate, 25.1 per 100,000, overtaking those aged 30 to 44, who had previously recorded the highest rate from 1995 to 2012. The rate among older men aged 60-74 also rose significantly from its 2012 level to 14.5 per 100,000.

The rate among younger men, aged 15-29, was the only group to show a decrease.

Suicide remains the leading cause of death for men between 20 and 34 in England and Wales, representing 24% of all deaths in 2013, and for men aged 35-49, at 13% of deaths.

The highest rate by age group for women was also 45 to 59, which it has been since 2002, with seven deaths per 100,000. The lowest was for those aged 15-29 at 2.9 deaths. As with men, suicide is the leading cause of death among women aged 20 to 34 in England and Wales.

Prof Louis Appleby, the chair of the National Suicide Prevention Advisory Group in England, said: “Men are more at risk of suicide because they are more likely to drink heavily, use self-harm methods that are more often fatal and are reluctant to seek help.

“Fifteen years ago the rates among men under 35 were brought down sharply by tackling these problems and we need to use this success to address the problems of the new highest risk group, middle-aged men.

“We need to make it easier for men to find help without shame or stigma.”

Samaritans’ executive director of policy, Joe Ferns, said the increase was “sadly not surprising to us given the context of a challenging economic environment and the social impact that brings.

“We need to see a greater focus at local and regional levels on the co-ordination and prioritisation of suicide prevention activity especially in areas with high socio-economic deprivation.

“The excessive risk of suicide in men and midlife continued to be a concern. The rate for this group has now reached its highest level for more than 30 years … These figured cannot be ignored.”

In England, the rate was 10.7 deaths per 100,000 (4,722) compared with 15.9 in Wales (393). But the ONS said the higher rate in Wales in 2013 may partly be owing to deaths being registered more quickly, while in England delays in registration have increased. The ONS said the figures were also potentially affected by an increase over time in the use of “narrative verdicts” by coroners.

Ferns said it was important to understand that about a third of local authorities do not collect information about suicide, and do not have a suicide prevention action plan or a multi-agency suicide prevention group. “This is an issue which needs to be urgently addressed in the context of rising data,” he said.

The ONS said a report in 2012 by experts including Ben Barr from the National Institute for Health Research, suggested that the UK’s recent recession could be “an influencing factor in the increase of suicides”. The report found that regions with greater rises in unemployment had also experienced higher rises in male suicides, the ONS said.

This was the first year that hanging, strangulation and suffocation was the most common method of death used by women, as previously it had been poisoning. For both men and women the proportion of deaths from poisoning has fallen over the past 11 years.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) and the Mental Health Foundation (MHF) have called for better mental health provision in the community. Citing the case of Martin Strain, 34, who took his own life in 2014, they have joined his family in calling for better support for GPs to enable them to work more closely with community-based mental health staff. The family believe there should be a lower threshold for coordinated care plans for those at risk, with risk factors to include age, gender, drug use and major trauma.

Dr Peter Carter, the RCN’s chief executive and general secretary, said: “Suicide is a complex issue, and it is difficult to say with certainty that individual deaths can be prevented, but we must listen to families like the Strains who have spoken so eloquently about their son’s experience and the gaps in the provision of care.

“Better support for people experiencing mental health problems would help prevent suicides and enable many people to lead full and fulfilling lives with distressing but manageable conditions. Without the expert support of nurses and other staff, many people are growing increasingly desperate while waiting for care.”

Jenny Edwards, the MHF’s chief executive, said: “Ultimately, we need excellent care, but we also need to step back and ask what reasonable steps can be taken to prevent people from having to reach mental health crises. Early intervention is the key.”

Samaritans: 08457 90 90 90 (24-hour national helpline)