researcher & govt adviser on suicide prevention & mental health. may also tweet on nature, arts & whatever happens.
Manchester/Anglesey
Joined May 2012
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New suicide figures have been published by @ONS: 5,738 suicides were registered for England in 2025.
75% were in men. 1 in 65 men die by suicide.
And in the details: a politically sensitive concern, a small encouragement & an important point no media have mentioned.
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Spoke recently at conference on gambling & suicide, organised by @GambleWithLives.
Key issue:
•if gambling is promoted, it will ⬆️
•if any risk factor increases, suicide will ⬆️ (as with alcohol)
•therefore anything that promotes even “responsible” gambling will cost lives.
Report on national suicide rate recorded by real-time surveillance shows no change.
Why does this matter?
Because of a belief out there that suicide is ⬆️. It isn’t.
And because we are not seeing a fall. We should look to econ stress, alcohol & MH care to bring rates down.
louis appleby retweeted
Yesterday our @ProfLAppleby, Dr Pauline Turnbull & Pauline Rivart attended the launch event of research findings from the psychological autopsy and qualitative inquiry into gambling and suicide led by Prof Amanda Roberts at @lborouniversity.
louis appleby retweeted
@ProfLAppleby talked about the wider national context of suicide prevention and how gambling fits into this.
The new figures also show a persistent wide difference between English regions, with the NE having the highest rate & London the lowest.
For any Govt concerned about regional disadvantage, mental health is a good place to start.
In one episode of #ThePitt there is a de-brief after a young person dies. Dr Robbie veers into a long story of another young patient.
It reminded me doctors/nurses remember the fatalities & failures far more. I certainly do.
Is this good or healthy or understood?
I’ve been watching #ThePitt, a little late, I know.
Undoubtedly the best medical drama in years, even if a bit preachy on some issues.
I’m struck by the reverential response to people who have died in A&E. Does that happen here (or anywhere)?
Spoke on Friday at @HuddersfieldUni.
Yorkshire & Humber have one of the highest regional suicide rates in England.
Also memorable because one of the other “speakers “ was a robot.
Positive news, yes. But how on earth did we get to the point where this was even possible? Did all those campaigns on stigma mean nothing?
Canada suspends plans to expand assisted dying to people with mental illness bbc.in/4AQeQil
Good to see an attempt to understand why highest suicide rates are in middle-aged men.
What is driving this?
Economic factors - highest rates began after 2008 recession.
Alcohol - a policy blind spot for successive Govts.
Physical ill-health, isolation, offenders.
Family breakdown and financial crises have changed the profile of those who are most likely to take their own lives thetimes.com/uk/healthcare/a…
But we need to see as a #suicideprevention priority a group who are not society’s favourites: men who are in debt, divorced, drinking, recently out of prison.
If we want to bring down the suicide rate, they are the top target for resources. Do we have public support on this?