Concern as latest suicide figures for St Helens revealed

With World Suicide Prevention Day taking place on Saturday, September 10, figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) show that 32 suicides were registered in St Helens in 2021.

Coming as a large increase from 15 the year before, some of these deaths may have been registered late due to disruption in coroner's inquests caused by the pandemic.

However, the figure is still a considerable increase from 19 deaths by suicide in 2019 and the highest in St Helens since ONS records began in 2001.

In the three years between 2019 and 2021, the data shows that there was an average of 14 suicides per 100,000 people in St Helens.

Whiston Hospital (Image: St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust)

This is higher than the current national average, with 10.4 suicides per 100,000 people recorded across England in the three years to 2021.

Locally, the figure is also higher than pre-pandemic levels with a rate of 10.8 in the years between 2018-2020; although there have been higher rates in the grouped years previous to this.

With World Suicide Prevention Day raising awareness of mental health issues, St Helens Council is encouraging struggling residents to seek help from local support networks.

Services such as Mersey Care Crisis Line, St Helens Mind, Change Grow Live, Chrysalis Centre for Change, HIMvisible, No Duff UK, and The Wonderland Centre are all local networks that can offer residents support with their mental health or signpost them to further avenues of help.

Additionally, the Cheshire and Merseyside Public Health Collaborative Suicide Prevention Strategy was launched this week, developed by a team who have experienced the impact of suicide first hand.

Cllr Anthony Burns (Image: St Helens Council)

Councillor Anthony Burns, St Helens Borough Council Cabinet Member for Wellbeing, Culture and Heritage said: “There is help and support available locally 24 hours a day and we would urge people to reach out and talk to family, friends or local support groups if they feel low.

"The aim of the new regional strategy is that through collective action we can hopefully make a difference in tackling mental health issues in the borough.

"Suicides are not inevitable and by working together we can make a difference to people’s lives, creating hope through collective action.”

St Helens Council have directed residents to local support networks (Image: St Helens Council)

Ruth du Plessis, Director of Public Health at St Helens Borough Council, said: “Asking for help is something we should feel we can do without any risk of stigma or judgement and it is important that we all remember that it is now Ok2Ask if we are trouble.

"Every suicide is potentially preventable and with the excellent network of support groups we now have in the borough we really hope that people will reach out and ask for help when they most need it.

“Several of the groups include volunteers who have themselves been through very tough experiences in their own lives and can provide empathy, support and the ability to just sit and listen.”

A special memorial event for residents who have lost family or friends to suicide will be held at St Helens Town Hall on Friday, September 29, with details found here.

Ruth du Plessis added: "Behind every suicide statistic is a person. Family, friends and a community affected by their loss. Suicide statistics are sensitive, and it’s important that we interpret and report them correctly.  

"Published statistics are recorded during a three-year period according to the date of registration and not the date that the suicide occurred, sometimes taking more than a year after an inquest with significant delays during the pandemic. 

"This registration delay has been evident in St Helens with the most recent data showing 32 suicides registered in 2021 compared to 15 registered suicides in 2020. This does not mean that 32 suicides happened in St Helens in 2021.

"The highest rates seen here in recent years was in the period 2015-17, when 83 deaths were recorded over a three-year period. Since then, a lot of work has been done to reduce suicides in the borough, with recent data showing that there were 66 deaths during the three-year period.

"One suicide is too many and we will continue working with partners to support residents that need help."

For further help with mental health:

• To contact the Mersey Care 24 hour Mental Health Crisis Line, contact 0800 051 1508
• Samaritans are available, day or night, 365 days of the year. You can call them for free on 116 123 or visit this link to find your nearest branch.
• To find out more about HIMvisible, visit this link
• CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) can be reached on their online hotline here or on 0800 58 58 58
• You can also Text REACH to 85258 - it's a free, confidential, 24/7 text message support service for anyone struggling to cope. 
• Zero Suicide Alliance provide 20 minute free training sessions that could help you potentially save someone's life. More details can be found here. 
• You can also download the Stay Alive App for free here.