Just over one year since Caroline Flack took her own life, a documentary about her life is airing on channel four this evening. Tragedies such as these are an essential opportunity to talk about suicide and mental health.
There is an urgent need to prevent suicides. Suicide rates among the under 25s have generally increased in recent years, particularly 10- to 24-year-old females, where the rate has increased significantly since 2012 to its highest level with 3.1 deaths per 100,000 females in 2019.
Suicide is the leading cause of death in young men. Roman Kemp hosted a documentary on male suicide that aired this week, including an interview with MQ-funded researcher Professor Rory O’Connor.
Meghan Markle recently revealed that she experienced suicidal thoughts in her interview with Oprah Winfrey. Sadly this is true of 20% of young people.
One way we can prevent suicide is by reaching out to people in need. Another is through research, so suicide is better understood and ultimately prevented. Here are four MQ-funded projects working to prevent people from taking their own lives:
Help Overcome and Predict the Emergence of Suicide (HOPES)
MQ-funded HOPES project aims to develop a model to predict who is at risk of suicide – analysing brain scans and data on suicidal behaviour and traits of young people from across the world to identify specific, universal risk-factors. Find out more
Using Data Science to understand Educational Risk Factors for Self-harm and Suicidal Behaviour in Young People
If we were able to identify warning signs in schools, we would have the opportunity to create targeted interventions to prevent children and young people from attempting suicide. To do this, Dr Rina Dutta and her team are linking data from schools with mental health data – providing a unique insight to determine if factors in schools can predict suicidal behaviours. Find out more.
Safety Planning Intervention with Follow-up Telephone Contact (SAFE TEL) to Reduce Suicidal Behaviour: A Development and Exploratory Trail
We know that when someone attempts suicide and is admitted for hospital treatment, the risk remains high that they will try to take their own life again. But there is currently no standard, evidence-based help that staff can offer to reduce that risk. And many may find they experience delays in getting support from a counsellor, psychologist or psychiatrist too.
Professor Rory O’Connor and his team at the University of Glasgow are investigating whether a programme of support developed for veterans in the US can be adapted to fill this urgent need in the UK. Find out more.
Firearm access and risk of death by suicide: a population-wide data linkage study
Dr Aideen Maguire and her team at Queen’s University Belfast are finding out if having access to a gun increases suicide risk. This has been proven in the US, but in the UK – where laws and culture differ considerably – no research has ever been done in this area.
Aideen’s innovative study will find out and has the potential to support vital new ways to prevent suicide. Find out more.
If you are struggling to cope, please call Samaritans for free on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email [email protected] or visit the Samaritans website to find details of the nearest branch. Samaritans is available 24/7 for anyone who is struggling, so please reach out.
