Suicide Prevention
Suicide can affect anyone. Scotland's suicide rate is higher than the UK average, with 784 deaths by suicide in 2018. This means that on average two people died by suicide every day. That’s two too many.
We know that men are three times more likely than women to die by suicide, and that women are more likely to attempt suicide than men. People living in deprived areas are also at greater risk of suicide.
We want councils to keep funding local suicide prevention co-ordinators, and we want the Scottish Government to introduce better crisis services. We campaigned for a new suicide reduction target and were pleased the Scottish Government accepted our recommendation, introducing a target to reduce suicide by 20% by 2022.
Read more about our views on suicide prevention:
- SAMH’s View on Suicide Prevention
- SAMH briefing on Scottish Government debate on suicide prevention
- Response to Scottish Government Draft Suicide Prevention Action Plan
If you’re thinking of suicide and need help now, you can contact the Samaritans 24/7 free of charge on 116 123 or by email at jo@samaritans.org. Or contact Breathing Space on 0800 83 85 87. You can also read our online guide ‘Suicide… Living with your thoughts’.
If you’re worried someone you know might be thinking about suicide, you can read our guide ‘Suicide… Are you worried about someone?’. You can also use our ‘Suicide: How to ask’ guide for some tips and advice on asking someone about suicide.
