SAMH calls for figures on suicide to be published

8th October 2020

Ahead of today's Ministerial Statement on Scotland’s Response to the Mental Health Challenge of Covid-19, SAMH Chief Executive Billy Watson commented:

"It's right that we consider the mental health needs of people affected by Covid-19, and we support the Scottish Government's intention to take action on this. However it's essential that we have accurate information on how Scotland's mental health is being affected. In particular, we need to know about any changes in rates of suicide. Yet the annual statistics on suicide in Scotland are now almost four months delayed, with no confirmed publication date. SAMH is working to support people across Scotland, but this job is being made more difficult because we do not have this data. It’s essential that we have the ability to analyse changes in suicide rates in order to inform decisions on where to prioritise action. The mental health system was struggling even before coronavirus: we must act now on this most urgent of issues.”