Brighton and Hove has the highest suicide rate in the south east, according to a new three-year prevention strategy.
Figures presented to Brighton and Hove City Council’s Health and Wellbeing Board showed that, on average, 38 people from Brighton and Hove died by suicide each year from 2019 to 2021.
The figures are a third higher than the national average and on the increase among those aged 10 to 24.
The board – made up of councillors, NHS chiefs and voluntary sector representatives – considered an action plan for 2024 to 2027 to provide better support for those at risk.
At a meeting at Hove Town Hall on Tuesday (7 November) the board was told that the priority groups in the strategy would be
- Children and young people
- Middle-aged men
- People who have self-harmed
- People in contact with mental health services
- People in contact with the justice system
- Autistic people
- Pregnant women and new mothers
Green councillor Pete West said that the strategy’s ambitions should be shared by the whole council because the issues affecting suicide risks ranged from homelessness and employment prospects to the “cost of living crisis”.
He said: “We need to make sure that we’re alert to the contributing factors. The report highlights men are more likely to commit suicide but the rate for women is rising.
“Also, almost half of transgender people report suicidal thoughts in the last year. More young people than nationally are at risk.”
Labour councillor Tristram Burden said that action to minimise suicide prevention had to be co-ordinated.
Councillor Burden said: “There are a variety of actions here which are really going to tackle this problem, especially how we’re making suicide everyone’s business.
“That is a very important action to take – and pushing for frank and open conversations in the workplace and our communities, bearing in mind about being careful about the audience we are addressing.”
Conservative councillor Emma Hogan, who works as a psychiatrist, said: “It’s important to make it everyone’s business. Many of the people this ends up happening to haven’t been part of mental health services.
“I would like to reassure everyone and thank the staff that are involved in the care of many of these people because there is a lot of good work going on from the staff in the Sussex Partnership and the voluntary sector.”
Community Works representative Jo Martindale highlighted the training available from suicide prevention group Grassroots to support the most vulnerable.
The charity has provided training for 570 school and college staff across Sussex and set up a free app called Stay Alive to help those experiencing suicidal thoughts.
Separately, last weekend the Sussex Police Federation said on its Facebook page that police officers were taking their lives at a rate of more than one a month nationally and that the figure had been rising.
Many years ago the samaritans had a campaign which suggested that if you had suicidal thoughts you call them and then they had trained people to try and help you. My understanding was this was why they were set up. The council has no experience of suicide action plans. Perhaps the first port of action should be speaking to an organisation such as the samaritans to try and get the message out that there is help out there. There are always better choices than suicide even if it doesn’t feel like this at the time.
Actually many are run or dependant on volunteers, if you think they have enough, enough themselves (like do they live ina perfect unaffected cloud descending from happy land or smth)?
Suicidal ideology symptoms are a health issue.
A national one and quite actuate here.
Maybe you should volunteer as you’re so knowledgeable.
Not at all surprising considering all the street lamps were replaced with fairy lights. Sun goes down and it’s a very depressing dark place.
That’s funny. I was talking to my partner the other day about how much brighter the streets seem at night. Sodium lamps used to have this horrible yellow wash of light which was much dimmer than the LEDs we have today. Plus shopfronts seem to absolutely blast light out compared to 20 years ago.
I believe Brighton as a city has some unique demographics that are at more risk of suicide ideation compared to other cities.
Yup “the end of the train line” syndrome…
That coupled with preferring to spend money on cycle lanes and not healthcare etc…
Much of the transport budget, particularly active and public transport, is ringfenced and councils don’t pay for the NHS.
Unless you meant to have a dig at the UK gov..
Bit of both actually. But now you mention it – if is is down to the NHS why is it being discussed by the council ? I suspect that the council is responsible in part for ongoing care and facilities ?
To be honest, it generally takes working together from lots of organisations. It’s right the council are involved, along with the specialists in the field, and the NHS, and anyone else who engages with at risk individuals.
What are those?
Yh like the council could get get shot of the terfs and help demand (yet another) healthcare dept is in crisis to meet needs (or have time or funding for training), people are pitched against eachother rather than funding services needed.
Don’t get me started on the stats for the disabled and mixed ability or unwell people.
The worst is this culture of abuse and demonisation meaning people typically don’t give a shit.
Maybe look at the highest rates of homelessness, hight council tax than London!, no nhs dentist accepting new clients, shut landlords if you can find somewhere that isn’t an air b&b.
Personally I’ve had serval attempts just being stuck on social services & wheelchair services waitlists.
Nobody is talking enough about needing clinic support and mental health support access at work, as a damn right. There are orgs that already exist doing this for the rich.
Maybe if we lived in a world where disabled people could get a pa… instead of these helicopter people having more than they could probably count or name.
I think a lot of us just see it as death buy waitlist.
Maybe for alll people remotely in need of anything healthcare related not just our different communities we wouldn’t be opting out.
Stay strong folks.
It is rather unfortunate that we have one of the most expensive healthcare systems with one of the poorest outcomes for its customers. It is not for lack of money, just very poor (over)managment.
Well you made that up. The NHS is chronically underfunded and has been for years, but for what is spent we still get one of the best outcomes in the world.
The escalating rates of suicide are no surprise. I wonder if curent statistics include suicide in prison. Many factors are relevant. Among them would be a loss of any sense of authentic community where people looked out for each other/listened to each other. Inadequete funding for mental health is another factor-anxiety linked with the cost of living and other factors is also a factor. I find there is a real sense of genuine listening, genuine caring, also no real and authentic expression anywhere (that I’m aware of) of what EXACTLY is means to have “A legal duty of care.”
Having been a Sammaritan and also having, at one time, had experience of clinical depresion and actualy/oncetried to kill myself I find it disconcerting to say the least that so many relevant bodies are still paddling in the shadow end.
As someone who has been under mental ‘health’ services, as have many of my close friends, believe me, these services in their current state are downright abusive. They are making mentally ill people even more unwell.
Like many mental health hospitals, Mill View has a body count.
Inpatients get their possessions confiscated, are watched to the extent that they can’t use a toilet or take a shower without a staff member staring at their naked body, and any external person trying to advocate for an inpatient, at the inpatient’s request, can be barred by staff if said advocate’s pleas for the inpatient’s dignity to be respected are deemed inconvenient for staff to bother to care about.
Complaints don’t work as those of us who are mentally unwell are demonised by mental health professionals as being “manipulative” and “attention seeking” or we’re seen as having no credibility due to being too crazy.
So please know that mental health services in their current state are dangerous and abusive and have no place in helping suicidal people.
Yes, greater funding is needed, but so is an actual understanding of mental illness, and some basic compassion!
Frankly, I’m thankful I have a physical condition too as this means I’m eligible for Dignitas.
Support for suicidal people needs to be rooted in compassion. Currently it’s rooted in professional abusers being empowered to do as they please with impunity.