Monday 21 January 2013

Sad Statistic

What a terribly sad statistic this is but last year 6045 people committed suicide in the United Kingdom, a significant rise on the previous year according top the Office of National Statistics.
The highest suicide rate was among men aged between 30 and 44 with 23 men per 100,000 taking their their own lives.
On average, across both sexes, 11.8 people per 100,000 population killed themselves in 2011, up from 11.1 people the previous year.
The ONS data revealed there were 4,552 suicides by men in 2011, more than double the number by women and the highest rate since 2002.
The World Health Organisation show that country with the highest suicide rate is South Korea with 31.7 suicides per 100,000 people followed by Lithuania with 31.6 per 100,000 people.
The International Suicide Organisation website states over one million people die by suicide worldwide each year and that on average, a person takes their own life every 40 seconds.
I don't think much analysis is needed as to why the suicide rate is going up, but it is
such a sad thought that every 2 minutes, 3 people chose cutting their lives short as the only way out of their problems.


5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well, we have now way of knowing why you think the suicide rate is so high unless you tell us. Please tell!

Q

Lucy said...

OK but only because you asked so nicely. My first thought would be the ongoing worldwide recession and all the fallout from that.

Anonymous said...

In the USA I think it is returning troops having trouble returning to "normal" life and a lack of support compared to what they get in the military.

Q

Anonymous said...

A friend committed suicide here in September. Nobody knows why. No money problems, health problems, no relationship issues, no legal issues. Nobody will ever know why. A lot of people will feel guilty when they shouldn't. I kind of mentor his son at work and we talk about Baron a lot but we avoid his suicide... Just as well, I can listen but cannot advise on such things.

Q

Lucy said...

I think guilt is a natural response, you wonder if you missed any signs and run over recent conversations to see if you missed anything they said and could you have done anything. Always a sad situation and like you say, you can never find the right words for the family.