Men are at greater risk of suicide than women. While suicide rates vary across the UK, men have accounted for more deaths by suicide than women in each nation.
The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) state that men represent three quarters of UK suicides. Which has been consistent since the mid-1990s.
In 2019 suicide was the largest cause of death for men aged 20-49 in the UK. But men aged 45-49 had the highest rate of suicide with 25.5 deaths per 100,000 people.
Women most at risk of suicide are between the ages of 50-54 with the data showing 7.4 deaths per 100,000 people. Although suicide has been the leading cause of death for both males and females aged 20-34 for a few decades, overall, there have been a low number of deaths among people under 25.
However, rates of suicide for the under 25s has increased in recent years for both males and females, particularly in females. The rate of suicide in under 25 women has increased by 94% since 2012. A record high for England and Wales. Even with the recent increase in female suicide for the under 25’s, men in the same age group have more recorded suicides.
It’s only partially understood why men are more likely to die by suicide than women. Research carried out by Samaritans found that:
- Men tend to choose more lethal methods compared to women
- Social expectations of masculinity may mean that men are less likely to seek help for suicidal thoughts compared to women
- Men are significantly more affected by relationship breakdowns compared to women
An under-researched area is suicide among trans and non-binary people. According to the LGBTQI+ charity Stonewall, almost half of trans people, 46%, have thought about taking their life in the last year.
Trans and non-binary people have to deal with specific risk factors as a minority community, such as stigma, prejudice and discrimination. Their experiences challenge current assumptions in our understanding of gender influencing suicide risk.
If you think that someone may be feeling suicidal, encourage them to talk about how they are feeling. You could also contact your local Samaritans.
You may feel uncomfortable talking about suicidal feelings. You may not know what to say. This is entirely normal and understandable. It might help to:
- Let them know that you care about them and that they are not alone
- Empathise with them – you could say something like, “I can’t imagine how painful this is for you, but I would like to try to understand”
- Be non-judgemental and don’t criticise or blame them
- Repeat their words back to them in your own words – this shows that you are listening, and repeating information can also make sure that you’ve understood them properly
- Ask about their reasons for living and dying and listen to their answers – try to explore their reasons for living in more detail
- Ask if they have felt like this before and if so, ask how their feelings changed last time
- Reassure them that they will not feel this way forever
- Encourage them to focus on getting through the day rather than focussing on the future
- Ask them if they have a plan for ending their life and ask what the plan is
- Encourage them to seek help that they are comfortable with such as help from a doctor or counsellor, or support through a charity such as the Samaritans
- Follow up any commitments that you agree to
- Make sure someone is with them if they are in immediate danger
- Try to get professional help for the person feeling suicidal
- Get support for yourself
If you think that someone may be feeling suicidal, encourage them to talk about how they are feeling. You could also contact your local Samaritans.
Remember that you don’t need to find an answer, or even to completely understand why they feel the way they do. Listening to what they have to say will at least let them know you care.
If you need extra support you can contact your counsellor at PCS who can guide you with what to do. She can be contacted on: Jaime@personal-careservices.co.uk or on 07399 809671. There is also a confidential drop in service which runs every Tuesday 5pm – 8pm.
We know that suicide is preventable, it’s not inevitable.
But not being OK is OK, talk to someone such as your counsellor who is trained to help and support you and others.
