The government has repeatedly committed to “parity of esteem” for both physical and mental health. Sounds good, but it is not borne out by either the latest official figures or the overall experience of those affected – with children some of the worst affected amongst people struggling with mental ill health.
2018 saw the highest rate of recorded suicides in almost 20 years, according to newly released figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). 6,507 suicides were registered in 2018, an increase of 11.8% on 2017 figures alone, and the highest since 2002. Suicides among young people (those aged 10-24) have reached a 16-year high. The rate for young females under 25 has risen to its highest level in nearly 40 years. Warm words will not bring back the hundreds needlessly lost to suicide who, with better funding and provision of services, may well have been saved.
Earlier this month, to mark World Suicide Prevention Day, representatives from Keep Our NHS Public, Health Campaigns Together and Mental Health: Time for Action laid out 200 pairs of shoes in Westminster to represent the 200 school age children that tragically take their lives in the UK every single year. This is a shameful legacy.
