We鈥檙e calling for the government to urgently invest in suicide prevention as new figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) reveal that suicide rates in England and Wales are at their highest levels in two decades.

The data from the ONS showed 6,069 suicides were registered in England and Wales in 2023 鈥� an increase from 5,642 in 2022, and the highest rate since 1999. Three-quarters of the recorded deaths were male, but the female suicide rate also reached its highest level since 1994.

Crucial psychological therapies听

We鈥檙e urging the government to recognise that access to psychological therapies is a crucial part of suicide prevention, and early intervention can offer people crucial support before they reach crisis point.

Our Third Sector Lead, Jeremy Bacon, said:

Wake-up call

鈥淭hese latest suicide figures are deeply unsettling and should act as a wake-up call to Governments across the UK to provide urgent focus on prevention and early intervention. We鈥檙e hearing from our members that they鈥檙e seeing an increased complexity of client issues, with many people deferring seeking help until they reach crisis point.

鈥淚t鈥檚 essential that counselling and psychotherapy is easily accessible and available to anyone who is at risk of suicide or self-harm, as well as those who are affected by these issues.听Suicide is the main cause of death in people under 35 in the UK. And for every one of those people, there鈥檚 a personal tragedy and the grief of loved ones left behind.

Gaps in vital support

鈥淔rom a third sector perspective, these statistics highlight the stark impact of the funding crisis that has seen many community-based services reduce their delivery or close waiting lists in the face of rising demand, and has even forced some services to close. This often leaves gaps in vital support that were known to be more accessible and acceptable than mainstream NHS services. We strongly urge the government to consider investing more in timely and appropriate services for suicide prevention in the next budget.鈥�

Devastating impact

Speaking to The Guardian newspaper, Head of Data and Analysis for Social Care and Health at the ONS, Vah茅 Nafilyan, said:

鈥淩ates increased across all age groups compared to 2022, especially among those aged 45 to 64 years. Suicide rates either increased or remained unchanged in each of the nine English regions, but the north-west saw the largest rise. Suicide leaves a devastating impact on individuals, families and communities, and we will continue to monitor suicide registrations, to support work to protect vulnerable people at risk.鈥�

Suicide prevention

香港六合彩精准资料 is part of the National Suicide Prevention Alliance (NSPA), which works to reduce suicide and help people get access to support when they need it.

We鈥檝e put together a compilation of听suicide prevention resources for members, including presentations, articles and good practice guides.