According to new figures released by the NHS Information Services Division (ISD), the suicide rate in Scotland increased by 14{08402cc4e02dcaebae1e086294c932f9e8c0e4836b71c17abd5ce9cddb0123b9} in 2018.

In 2018, 784 people in Scotland took their own lives, an increase from 680 the year before and particularly concerning, is the increase in suicide rates among young people aged under 25, which is at its highest annual rate since 2007.

The new ISD figureshighlight that the rate of suicide is three times higher in the most deprived areas of Scotland and shows that men are markedly more likely to take their own lives than women.

James Jopling, the executive director of Samaritans Scotland said, “After years of steady progress, this should serve as a stark reminder that further action is needed to better understand and address all the factors that contribute to suicide – particularly among young people,” he said.

For more information please visit: https://www.samaritans.org/news/concerning-rise-suicide-deaths-prompts-calls-further-action/