Introduction
Suicide is an important public health issue. An individual dying by suicide has far reaching social and economic impacts on families and communities. In England and Wales in 2023 there were 6,069 suicides, which is an increase compared to 2022 and the highest rate since 1999. In Lambeth there were 49 suicides between 2021 and 2023. It is estimated that for every person who dies by suicide, up to 135 people are affected. The suicide of a relative triples an individual’s odds of suicide or suicide attempt. Suicide also results in economic losses due to loss of employment productivity and costs to the healthcare system, police and coroners. Samaritans estimated the economic cost of suicide in the UK in 2022 to be £9.58 billion.
There are specific risk factors for suicide which require a range of public health interventions to tackle. These include substance misuse, financial difficulty, gambling, social isolation and suicide bereavement. Poor mental health and self-harm are strong predictors of suicide. In Lambeth, there is a high prevalence of certain risk factors for suicide, such as substance misuse and mental health problems, with an estimated 22% of people in Lambeth having a mental health disorder. However, tackling these risk factors is complex and requires cross-sectoral action.
The risk of suicide is not equal across society. Higher suicide rates are observed among specific population groups and communities, including men, people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ people, and more deprived people. People living in the most deprived areas of England experience almost double the rate of suicides compared to those in the least deprived areas. The Covid-19 pandemic and the ongoing cost of living crisis have exacerbated issues such as economic hardship, poor mental health and social isolation. This is particularly the case among deprived and marginalised communities, putting people who were already at high risk of mental ill-health and suicide at an even greater risk.
Every suicide is preventable, and it is our collective responsibility to do all that we can to reduce deaths by suicide. However, there are challenges in suicide prevention. There remains societal stigma around suicide and people who die by suicide have often not previously engaged with services. Our approach to prevention must be multi-agency and address the social and commercial determinants of suicide. This Strategy provides a framework for collective activities which bring together the council, primary and secondary health and care services, voluntary and third sector organisations as well as communities and individuals.
Suicide prevention is a national government priority, as set out in the 2023-2028 National Suicide Prevention Strategy. Lambeth’s strategy outlines the borough’s suicide prevention activities to address local issues and contribute to the combined national effort to reduce the suicide rate in the UK. This Strategy will run from 2025 to 2030 to align with other key council strategies, including Lambeth 2030: Our Future, Our Lambeth. This expanded timescale will also allow delivery of longer-term workstreams. The public health team will update the action plan accompanying the Strategy on an annual basis.