An article reviewed findings from the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness, over the period 1996-2011. Suicide varied substantially by both socio-demographic and clinical features. Effective suicide prevention initiatives should incorporate research findings to inform clinical practice and policy. The Inquiry work had positively influenced mental health practice and policy: these changes included falling suicide rates in mental health patients, informing suicide prevention strategies, and developing safety checklists for mental health services.
Source: Kirsten Windfuhr and Navneet Kapur, 'Suicide and mental illness: a clinical review of 15 years findings from the UK National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide', British Medical Bulletin, Volume 100 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Dec
An article examined the characteristics of DSH (deliberate self-harm) patients who lived alone. Middle-aged DSH patients who lived alone appeared to be particularly vulnerable. DSH patients who lived alone might not have supportive social networks and might be at increased risk of repetition of DSH and suicide.
Source: Camilla Haw and Keith Hawton, ' Living alone and deliberate self-harm: a case control study of characteristics and risk factors', Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, Volume 46 Number 11
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Oct
An article said that the increasing use of 'narrative verdicts' by coroners in England and Wales might be leading to greater underestimation of suicide rates.
Source: David Gunnell, Keith Hawton, and Nav Kapur, ' Coroners verdicts and suicide statistics in England and Wales', British Medical Journal, 6 October 2011
Links: Abstract | Bristol University press release | Manchester University press release
Date: 2011-Oct
An ombudsman report examined the impact of intimidation, violence, and bullying on those who took their own lives in prison. Prison staff needed to record and share more information about violence and intimidation in order to improve prisoner safety.
Source: Learning from PPO Investigations: Violence Reduction, Bullying and Safety, Prisons and Probation Ombudsman for England and Wales
Links: Report | PPO press release
Date: 2011-Oct
A new book examined suicides from a sociological standpoint. It highlighted the importance of qualitatively-driven, mixed methods sociological research on individual suicides. It considered the gendered character of suicidal behaviour, the role of the life-course, and the importance of social bonds – especially intimate relationships.
Source: Ben Fincham, Susanne Langer, Jonathan Scourfield, and Michael Shiner, Understanding Suicide: A sociological autopsy, Palgrave Macmillan
Links: Summary | Cardiff University press release
Date: 2011-Oct
A think-tank report said that not enough was known about the root causes of suicide. At least 10 per cent of suicides were by people with a terminal or chronic illness. There were wide variations in how verdicts of suicide were recorded by coroners and made available to the public. The government should consider making local suicide audits compulsory, and formalizing coroners' duty to share information.
Source: Louise Bazalgette, William Bradley, and Jenny Ousbey, The Truth About Suicide, Demos
Links: Report | Community Care report | Guardian report | Telegraph report
Date: 2011-Aug
The government began consultation on a strategy to prevent suicides in England. It said that the strategy would place a new emphasis on family members – working with relatives to prevent a vulnerable person taking their own life, and better support for those who had been bereaved following a suicide.
Source: Consultation on Preventing Suicide in England: A cross-government outcomes strategy to save lives, Department of Health
Links: Consultation document | Impact assessment | Hansard | DH press release | CMH press release | SANE press release
Date: 2011-Jul
A report said that suicide rates among people with mental illness in England and Wales had fallen from a peak of 1,315 in 2004 to 1,196 in 2008 (although in Scotland the suicide rate had been broadly stable).
Source: Annual Report: England, Wales, and Scotland, National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness (University of Manchester)
Links: Report | Manchester University press release
Date: 2011-Jul
A report said that alcohol appeared to be a key factor in Northern Ireland's higher suicide rates, including among mental health patients, compared with England and Wales.
Source: Louis Appleby, Nav Kapur, Jenny Shaw, Isabelle Hunt, Sandra Flynn, David While, Kirsten Windfuhr, Alyson Williams, and Mohammad Rahman, Suicide and Homicide in Northern Ireland, National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness (University of Manchester)
Links: Report | Summary | Manchester University press release | RCPsych press release | BBC report
Date: 2011-Jun
An article examined the 'interpretative repertoires' found in the suicide prevention strategies of England and Finland, and explored their potential functions and audiences.
Source: Pia Solin and Pirjo Nikander, 'Targeting suicide – qualitative analysis of suicide prevention strategy documents in England and Finland', Mental Health Review Journal, Volume 16 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Apr
An article examined the impact of narrative verdicts by coroners in England and Wales on the quality of the statistics on suicides (owing to the difficulty of coding the underlying cause of death from the information provided in the narrative). It concluded that the increase in the use of narrative verdicts by coroners had not had a statistically significant impact on published suicide rates in England and Wales, and so no revision to these rates was needed.
Source: Chris Hill and Lois Cook, 'Narrative verdicts and their impact on mortality statistics in England and Wales', Health Statistics Quarterly 49, Spring 2011, Office for National Statistics
Links: Article | ONS press release
Date: 2011-Feb