Comment on the Government's Pledge to Reduce Suicide (May 2002)
Depression is oneof the most common conditions in the UK, affecting one in five people at somestage in their life. It is also one of the most misunderstood. The World Health Organisation estimates thatby 2020 depression will be the biggest global health burden after chronic heartdisease.
The UK now has one of the highest attempted suicide ratesin Europe, with a massive 50% increase since 1990. At least three-quarters of suicides are theresult of depression, with more than 7,000 people taking their own lives eachyear in the UK and Ireland.
Whilst we welcome the governments pledge to reduce suicidewe have already heard many empty promises about making mental health apriority. As the leading UK charity for depression we have not as yet beenconsulted about the National Strategy for suicide prevention and have recentlyfound out that the government will not be supporting our self-help group andself-management programmes which are vital in the prevention of suicide andsupport of depressed people.
A Depression Alliance survey last year revealed that manysuicidal patients blamed GPs and the government for not doing enough to helpthem in their hour of need. One of the most striking results from the surveywas the number of people who had not told their GP about their most recentsuicide attempt. Worryingly, morethan two-fifths (41%) had not informed their GP about their last attempt; withserious implications for the treatment of their depression and for their futuresafety. Whilst depression remains shrouded in stigma and GPs are unable toprovide the level of service needed to treat and protect this vulnerable group,suicide rates will continue to rise.
Furthermore, there are great concerns about GPsabilities to recognise the pressure that people with depression areunder. Worryingly, most people had beento see their GP over the weeks leading up to their suicide attempt. More than half (53%) of all thosequestioned had visited their GP in the month prior to their attempt, and ofthose more than a quarter (27%) had seen their GP in the seven days beforetheir attempt.
In another blow to GPs, when asked what the Government coulddo to prevent suicide, the largest number more than a third (37%) cited a needfor better training for GPs and health professionals.
As well as the need to provide better training for GPs andother health professionals, respondents felt the Government could do more byoffering better education about depression (17%) and doing more to reduce thestigma associated with it (15%). This is despite the Mind Out for Mental HealthCampaign and the CALM helpline which is advertised as providing support foryoung men aged between 15 and 24 (not 15 to 35 as advertised in the DOH pressrelease). Depression Alliance was forced to close down its helpline last yeardue to lack of funding and there is now no dedicated helpline for peopleaffected by depression. We estimate that 1 in 10 calls to our office have beenreferred there from Saneline, NHS Direct or the Samaritans.
The government must work alongside organisations like ours.We fill in the gaps in service provision in a cost effective way, informed bythe experiences of people affected by depression, many of who have attemptedsuicide. We know why many people commit suicide and we know how to prevent it.What we need from the government is support to make it happen, not more emptywords.