Suicide
No discussion on mental health would be complete without some mention of suicide. Around 4,500 people kill themselves in England and Wales each year (1 in 100 deaths), and many more harm themselves. During recent years there has been a marked increase in the number of young men who commit suicide, whereas the rate for women has fallen. The reasons for these changes are not known. The majority of people who commit suicide have a mental illness at the time of their death, but it will not have been noticed by those around them. People with long term severe mental illness are particularly at risk; 10% people with schizophrenia kill themselves, and the proportion is even higher for people with severe or recurrent depression. Suicide is also more likely in people who are isolated, or who misuse alcohol and drugs.
If someone has previously made an unsuccessful suicide attempt, then they are also at particular risk.
If someone tells you that they feel suicidal, always take it seriously, make sure that you tell someone else and they are offered professional help. If someone says that they are feeling desperate or hopeless don't be embarrassed to ask whether they have had any sucidal thoughts. It is possible to raise the topic gently e.g. by asking 'Do you ever go to bed at night and hope that you are not going to wake up in the morning?' or 'Have you recently wished you weren't here?'.
If someone is not suicidal raising the issue will not cause offence or put the idea into their head, but if they are, having the opportunity to talk about it will be an enormous relief and may save their relief.
