Print page

Press Release: Samaritans fear suicide increase due to economic crisis

Embargoed until 00:01am Thursday 18th December 2008

Date: Wednesday 17th December 2008
Contact: Kate Redway / Robyn Clark
Phone: +44 (0)20 8394 8342 / 020 8394 8348
Email: k.redway@samaritans.org / r.clark@samaritans.org
Out of hours press phone: +44 (0)7943 809162

Emotional support charity urges anyone in emotional distress to seek 24-hour confidential support this Christmas and throughout the coming year.

Samaritans warns that the deepening financial and economic crises could lead to an increase in suicide rates nationwide as people face unemployment, mounting debt and housing insecurity (1). The charity is encouraging people to look out for family, friends and colleagues in these times of economic uncertainty.

Research shows that people who are unemployed are 2-3 times more likely to die by suicide than people in employment, (2) with unemployed men more at risk than unemployed women (1). Unemployment can result in poorer mental health, such as anxiety and depression, lowered self-esteem and feelings of hopelessness – all of which increase the likelihood that someone will think that life is not worth living.

Stephen Platt, Professor of Health Policy Research at the University of Edinburgh and a Samaritans’ Trustee, said: “Economic recession, especially when it is sudden and severe, can lead to an increase in suicide rates. This is not only because more people become unemployed and, as a result, more psychologically vulnerable, but also because those in employment feel threatened too. The fear of losing one’s job and pressures caused by a downturn in business, demotion or pension plan cutbacks can be bad for mental health and therefore increase suicide risk.

“At this time Samaritans’ services are more crucial than ever. A recent survey (3) of people who have contacted Samaritans showed that 74 per cent of suicidal people felt that getting in touch with the service helped them take a decision not to end their own lives and 70 per cent of people felt that speaking to a Samaritans’ volunteer helped them cope with the problem they were facing.”

Samaritans receives 2.8 million contacts a year by phone, email, letter and face-to-face. Research undertaken by the charity shows that one in ten (about 280,000) contacts concerns financial issues, with 41 per cent of contacts who raise financial issues worried about employment, 32 per cent concerned about housing and 25 per cent anxious about debt. (4)

Joe Ferns of Samaritans said: "Financial difficulty can contribute to the breakdown of even the strongest relationships with friends and family. People may rely more heavily on alcohol and drugs as a coping mechanism and it is well established that excessive alcohol consumption and drug misuse increase suicide risk.

“We urge anyone feeling distressed or struggling to cope this Christmas to share their problems rather than letting them get out of control. Talk to your family, friends and colleagues or, if you feel you can’t do this, contact us. We are open around the clock over the festive period, even when many other public services are closed.

“If you’re worried about someone close to you, there are a number of signs that you can watch out for. GPs and other health professionals should also be on the lookout for mental health symptoms that may be linked to unemployment and financial strain.”

Signs to look out for include someone:

Being withdrawn or unsociable
Being low-spirited or depressed
Drinking alcohol excessively or becoming dependent on drugs
Finding it difficult to relate to others
Taking less care of themselves
Acting out of character
Being tearful or constantly fighting back tears
Being excessively irritable
Finding it hard to concentrate
Feeling less energetic or particularly tired
Eating much less or much more than usual
Putting themselves down (self-mockingly as well as seriously), e.g. “Nobody loves me” or “I’m a waste of space”.

People can contact Samaritans by phone on 08457 90 90 90, email on jo@samaritans.org or face-to-face at one of the UK’s 201 local branches. Log on to www.samaritans.org for more information.

-ends-

Notes to editors

To find out more about the effects of economic crisis on emotional health, please visit www.samaritans.org/economicQandA

Stephen Platt and Joe Ferns are both available for interview.

There were 5985 deaths by suicide reported in the UK and Republic of Ireland in 2006 (including undetermined deaths) according to the Office for National Statistics. Suicide increases directly after the Christmas period with a peak in suicides on New Year’s Day (5). Many people will feel without hope at the beginning of a new year and this can lead to suicidal thoughts and feelings of despair.

Research references:

(1) Platt, S. and K. Hawton, Suicidal Behaviour and the Labour Market, in The International Handbook of Suicide and Attempted Suicide, K. Hawton and K. van Heeringen, Editors. 2000, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd: Chichester, West Sussex. p. 309-384

(3) Samaritans Emotional Support Services: Results of a Website Survey. 2007

(4) Samaritans’ branch survey on the economic crisis. November 2008. Findings were based on call samples to six branches over the week 17th-23rd November 2008. The sample of calls was 2925 which represents approximately 62 per cent of total calls taken by those branches in that time period.

(5) Bergen, H. and Hawton, K, Variation in deliberate self-harm around Christmas and New Year. Social Science & Medicine 65 (2007) p. 855–867.

About Samaritans

Samaritans receives 2.8 million contacts a year by phone, email, letter and face-to-face.

It is the aim of Samaritans to make emotional health a mainstream issue. Samaritans' vision is for a society where fewer people die by suicide because people are able to share feelings of emotional distress openly without fear of being judged. Samaritans believes that offering people the opportunity to be listened to in confidence, and accepted without prejudice, can alleviate despair and suicidal feelings.

Samaritans is a registered charity, founded in 1953, which offers 24-hour confidential emotional support to anyone in emotional distress. The service is offered by 16,534 trained volunteers and is entirely dependent on voluntary support. Across the UK, you can call Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90 (1850 60 90 90 in the Republic of Ireland), email jo@samaritans.org, write to Samaritans at Chris, PO Box 9090, Stirling, FK8 2SA, or if you are deaf or hard of hearing use the single national minicom number 08457 90 91 92. Log on to www.samaritans.org for more information. Calls from BT will be charged at up to 2 pence per minute at all times. A call set-up fee of 7 pence applies to calls from residential lines. Mobile and other providers' charges may vary.