Today, NHS England published the latest Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing (2023/24) which revealed a rise in the prevalence of suicidal thoughts, attempts and self-harm
Commenting on the findings, Samaritans is calling for urgent action from the Government and reminding anyone in crisis that the charity is here for them 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
"The worrying rise in self-harm, suicidal thoughts and attempts compared to 10 years ago demands urgent action. With a quarter of adults now experiencing suicidal thoughts in their lifetime, 1 in 10 people self-harming and the sobering estimate that 3.6 million people in the country have attempted suicide, investment in suicide prevention is non-negotiable.
The Government has talked about moving healthcare closer to the community and shifting from treatment to prevention; however, there is currently no dedicated government funding for national or local suicide prevention, nor any crucial voluntary sector funding from them to help charities like ours who answer a call for help every 10 seconds and are relied on by hundreds of thousands of people to fill the ever-widening gaps in mental health support. Two fifths of those who have attempted suicide didn’t receive any medical or psychological help so it’s vital that this is addressed and those in crisis have access to the support they need.
The imminent NHS 10 Year Plan is an important opportunity for the Government to stop paying lip service and prove their commitment to tackle suicide. They must put their money where their mouth is and have the ambition to drive down suicide rates to the lowest on record."
Jacqui Morrissey, Assistant Director of Influencing at Samaritans