26 Sep 2023
In this blog, our policy, research and campaigns manager Maisie reflects on some of the detail surrounding the new Suicide Prevention Strategy, how it relates to Agenda Alliance’s previous recommendations and research on women and girl’s suicidality and mental health, and the need for a joined-up approach.
Sunday 10 September was World Suicide Prevention Day – a day to reflect on the role we can all play in creating a world where fewer people die by suicide. In 2021, 5219 deaths were registered with a cause recorded as suicide in the UK. On Monday 11 September, the government published their long-awaited Suicide Prevention Strategy for 2023-28. You can read our initial response to the strategy here.
Men are statistically more likely than women to die by suicide; around three quarters of suicides in 2021 were men. Lots of the policy in this space has therefore been focused on understanding what causes this disparity, and designing policy and practice responses for an assumed male service user. However, at Agenda Alliance we consistently see evidence around specific drivers for suicide among women and girls which could be addressed through age-, gender- and trauma-informed policy – and we believe this should be part of the overall picture of reducing rates of suicide.
Women and girls who have experienced intimate partner violence
In 2023, we published new data which demonstrated clear links between suicidality and intimate partner violence. Underexamined and Underreported found that:
Domestic abuse has wide-reaching impacts on women’s lives. A recent inquest returned the first ever conclusion of unlawful killing due to suicide, after Kellie Sutton took her own life following domestic abuse. But we know that this is much more common than reports suggest. Beyond the trauma itself, the further stresses caused by domestic abuse, such as lengthy court battles for custody of children, often compound that distress. Just last week saw reports of at least three women taking their own lives as a result of the pressure of the family court system and fears for children who had been placed with abusers.
Domestic abuse disproportionately affects women and girls; 77% of victims are women compared to 16% of men. Our Hidden Hurt research found that one in three women who have experienced extensive violence and abuse have attempted suicide - that’s five times more likely than for women who had little experience of such harm. Far too many go on to face declining mental health without appropriately gender- and trauma-informed support – which can clearly have heart-breaking impacts.
The Suicide Prevention Strategy highlights domestic abuse as a ‘risk factor’ for increased risk of suicide, and sets out specific actions to address this risk early on. Better consistent data-gathering is key to understand the scale of this issue. The strategy states that data from Domestic Homicide Reviews (which consider the circumstances of someone’s death following abuse or neglect) will be used to inform understanding of trends, and that the process will be reformed to identify best practice in referring suicides that follow domestic abuse for a DHR review. To build on this, we recommend that police should make checks for a known history of domestic abuse in instances of suspected suicide and that the Chief Coroner should produce further guidance on how coroners conduct inquests in cases of suspected suicides where domestic abuse could be a contributing factor.
Poverty, compounded by the cost of living crisis, is one the most pressing challenges experienced by women with multiple unmet needs. We welcome recognition in the strategy that “financial difficulty and adversity can result in suicidal thoughts or action.” Our research shows that poverty can enable and exacerbate abuse, in part because victims often have reduced financial means to leave abusers and will become more financially vulnerable upon leaving.
To help remove financial barriers to survivors escaping abuse, Universal Credit (which currently makes payments to the household rather than individuals) must be urgently reformed - with payments separated by default as a matter of urgency.
Suicides of girls and young women have increased at startling rates, with those under 24 seeing the largest increase in suicide rates since records began. So it is encouraging that the Suicide Prevention Strategy specifically identifies children and young people as a priority group, and acknowledges the particular risks among young women.
Girls and young women face additional and specific complexities in relation to their mental health. The new Unseen Signals campaign from CALM, the Campaign Against Living Miserably, highlights the ways in which stereotypes can make it harder for them to seek help. Their research found that:
To address these levels of discrimination and stereotyping, all mental health support must be both age- and gender- responsive. The strategy identifies ongoing work in this area, and states that “further bespoke support may be needed to respond to particular circumstances and experiences of some children and young people.” To prevent young women and girls falling through the gaps in services or left to reach crisis point, it is essential that government ensures all support is gender-, age- and culturally-responsive.
Finally, while much of the action proposed in the strategy has the potential to change lives, this will only happen if the work takes place holistically, through joined-up public services which speak to one another. All women and girls, regardless of postcode or background, should be able to access specialist support for multiple unmet needs. The strategy must take the opportunity to address multiple needs together, through a connected approach to suicide prevention.
For help: Call 116 123 to speak to a Samaritan or see https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/ for other ways to get in touch.
The Government's new Suicide Prevention Strategy published today is a welcome step but must be driven by a cross-sector commitment and properly resourced to improve the lives of women and girls with unmet needs.
Agenda Alliance's briefing on the links between intimate partner violence, suicidality (suicide attempts and suicidal thoughts), and self-harm.
