Lambeth's 2025-2030 Suicide Prevention Strategy

The proposal

We want your views on our proposed Lambeth Suicide Prevention Strategy and Action Plan 2025-2030. This builds on the 2022-2025 Suicide Prevention Strategy and describes how we plan to prevent suicide in Lambeth over the next 5 years, including a detailed action plan for year 1.

Background information / Purpose of consultation

Suicide is an important public health concern. Every death by suicide has far reaching social and economic impacts on families and communities. Every suicide is preventable, and it is our collective responsibility to do all that we can to reduce deaths by suicide. In England and Wales in 2023 there were 6,069 suicides (a rate of 11.4 deaths per 100,000 people), which is an increase compared to 2022 and the highest rate since 1999.

There are a number of risk factors for suicide. Lambeth has a higher-than-average prevalence of some of these risk factors, including substance misuse and mental health conditions.

The purpose of this strategy is to provide a multi-agency framework for action across the life-course to prevent avoidable loss of life through suicide. It draws on local experience and research evidence, aiming to prevent suicide and promote mental health and wellbeing.

The aims of this strategy are to:

• Ensure all residents know where to get support,
• Contribute to the downward trend in suicides in London, particularly within high-risk groups, and
• Reduce social harms from suicide, such as to those bereaved by suicide.  

We have 4 key objectives as part of this strategy. They are:

· Tailor approaches and reduce the risk of suicide in high-risk groups

· Provide better information and support to those bereaved or effected by suicide

· Support the media in delivering sensitive approaches to suicide and suicidal behaviour

· Improve research, data collection and monitoring of suicide, suicidal behaviour and self-harm in Lambeth

Addressing inequalities

The risk of suicide is not equal across society. Men are three times more likely to die by suicide than women and suicide is the leading cause of death for men aged 20-34.

The suicide rate among people living in the most deprived areas of England was almost double the rate in the least deprived areas. The Covid-19 pandemic and the ongoing cost of living crisis have exacerbated issues such as economic hardship, poor mental health and social isolation.

This is particularly the case among poorer and marginalised communities, putting people who were already at high risk of mental ill-health and suicide at an even greater risk.

This strategy aims to address suicide risk across Lambeth, with focus on communities which are at higher risk of suicide.

We have identified priority groups in Lambeth for targeted action as part of the strategy. These groups are:

• Children and young people
• Men (in particular, those aged 45-64)
• People in contact with mental health services
• People in contact with the justice system
• People with Autism
• Pregnant women and new mothers
• People who have self-harmed
• LGBTQ+ communities
• People with disabilities
• Asylum seekers
• People facing financial difficulty and economic adversity
• People affected be gambling harms
• People who are misusing substances

Next steps after consultation closes

The feedback from this consultation will be incorporated into the final Suicide Prevention Strategy 2025-2030. The strategy will be signed off at the Lambeth Staying Healthy Board before being published on the Lambeth Council website.