Suicide (health and wellbeing needs in South Tyneside)

Data shows that South Tyneside's suicide rates are not statistically dissimilar from the England average. The number of suicides in South Tyneside is small and can be expected to fluctuate each year; therefore it is difficult in these circumstances to identify any trends.

However a North East regional suicide prevention needs assessment and local suicide audits present more detailed information about completed suicides in South Tyneside from 2007 - 2013. The main points from the needs assessment and audits are highlighted below.

• 2007 - 2010 suicide audit: there were fewer than 10 suicides per annum
• 2011 - 2013 suicide audit: 43 deaths where 'self-harm was identified as a factor in death.'[1]
• Emergency hospital admissions for self-harm in South Tyneside are not statistically different from the England average.
• Most suicides take place at the deceased person's home.
• High rates of diagnosed depression prior to suicide (47% from 2011-13 audit, with coroners comments indicating that a further 9 individuals had undiagnosed depression)
• Males suicides outnumber female suicides (72% were male 2007 - 10 and 77% were male in 2011 - 13)
• Higher numbers of suicides in working age groups; but 38% were classed as unemployed and only 25% were in paid employment at time of death.
• 42% of suicides were by people living alone (however there was also 28% of unknown for living circumstances at time of death.)
• Hanging was the most common cause of death for men (51% of all suicides 2007 - 13)
• Asphyxia (33%) and falling from a height (33%) were the commonest methods of suicide amongst women.
• Contact with mental health services may be under-reported in Coroner's records (source: confidential SOTW suicides 2007 / 09 audit findings) but in 2007 / 09 three suicide victims were recorded as at risk by Mental Health Services. In 2011 - 13 eight of the deceased (19%) had documented contact with statutory mental health services within a year of their death.
• Most of those who completed suicide had been registered with a GP.
• Alcohol had been taken at the time of death in 36% of cases in 2007 / 08 and 35% of cases in 2011 - 13.
• Social media was mentioned in the documentation for 17% of suicide cases in 2011-13. The context in which social media was mentioned varied from conversations on social media forming part of the Coroner's investigation to bullying and harassment via social media. The cases involving social media were in individuals aged 36-58, with an average age of 50.

Go to the most recent local data on suicides

For further information: Public Health England has developed a suicide prevention profile on the fingertips website. The suicide prevention profile has been produced to develop an understanding at a local level and support an intelligence driven approach to suicide prevention. It collates and presents a range of publicly available data on suicide, associated prevalence, risk factors and service contact among groups at increased risk. It provides planners, providers and stakeholders with the means to profile their area and benchmark against similar populations.

[1] Note this uses a different methodology from the first audit. The wider inclusion criteria is designed to pick up as many cases as possible to give as good an insight as possible into suicide in South Tyneside.