Mental health experts 'deeply alarmed' as suicides tragically soar in Milton Keynes

Office for National Statistics figures show 38 deaths from suicide were registered in Milton Keynes in 2021 – up from 26 the year before.

This week suicide prevention and mental health charities are calling for greater action ahead of World Suicide Prevention Day on Septmber 10.

Organised by the International Association for Suicide Prevention and the World Health Organization, the day has been observed on every year since 2003 and sees people come together around the world to raise awareness of the issue.

The theme this year is "creating hope through action" and aims to inspire confidence and hope among those struggling with their mental health.

Figures show 27 suicide deaths were recorded in MK in 2019, meaning there were 12.9 suicides per 100,000 people in the area in the three years to 2021.

This was up from 9.4 in 2018-20 and 8.9 in 2017-19.

There were 5,583 suicides registered nationally in 2021, equivalent to a rate of 10.7 deaths per 100,000 people.

The charity Rethink Mental Illness said that despite improvements in awareness, the increase in the suicide rate highlights the need to tackle the many risk factors that lead to suicide, including debt, financial stress and housing instability. All of these are being exacerbated by the cost-of-living crisis.

And Samaritans said the figures are "more worrying evidence that not enough is being done to drive down our high suicide rates".

Jacqui Morrissey from the suicide-prevention charity, said: "We want to see a new national suicide prevention plan, led by the Government, that will achieve the lowest national suicide rate in history – anything less will simply be accepting failure."

Lourdes Colclough from Rethink Mental Illness, highlighted the "particularly worrying" increasing trend of suicides among young women – suicide rates among females aged under 24 saw the greatest increase since records began in 1981, from 2.5 per 100,000 women in 2020 to 3.6 per 100,000 in 2021.

Marjorie Wallace, chief executive of the charity SANE, said this increase is "deeply alarming", while Samaritans' research showed young people are more likely to face financial hardship in the wake of the pandemic and during the cost-of-living crisis.

The Department for Health and Social Care said: "Every suicide is a tragedy and our sympathies go to the family and friends of those affected."

A spokesperson added that it is prioritising children and young people's mental health and is investing £57 million in suicide prevention through the NHS to "support local plans and develop suicide bereavement services".

Contact Samaritans for free at anytime on 116 123 or visit www.samaritans.org.