BSuicide is the leading cause of death for men under 50. It accounts for 26% of the deaths of men aged 20-34, 13% of the deaths of men 35-49. The male:female suicide rate differential has increased from 1.7:1 to over 3.5:1 over the past 35 years, mainly the consequence of a large decline in female suicides. About 78% of suicide victims today are male, 22% female.
We commented on the government’s inaction on male suicide prevention in our 2015 general election manifesto (pp.46-8).
The House of Commons Health Committee (seven of the ten MPs on the committee are female, including the chairperson) recently held an inquiry into the issue of suicide prevention. Our written submission to the inquiry (September 2016) can be accessed here. I asked to give oral evidence to the committee, but my request was denied. We had pointed in our written submission to the state being the key driver of male suicide, through its actions and inactions in 11 areas.
The embargo on publication of the House of Commons Health Committee’s final report on suicide prevention has just been lifted, and the report is here. As anticipated, it barely recognizes that most (almost four in five) suicide victims in the UK today are men.
The House of Commons Health Committee (seven of the ten MPs on the committee are female, including the chairperson) recently held an inquiry into the issue of suicide prevention. Our written submission to the inquiry (September 2016) can be accessed here. I asked to give oral evidence to the committee, but my request was denied. We had pointed in our written submission to the state being the key driver of male suicide, through its actions and inactions in 11 areas.
The embargo on publication of the House of Commons Health Committee’s final report on suicide prevention has just been lifted, and the report is here. As anticipated, it barely recognizes that most (almost four in five) suicide victims in the UK today are men.