Research led by the Oxford University is calling for a "change in narrative" to acknowledge the factors such as poverty and debt which contribute to suicide. 

The experts have emphasised suicide should not just be presented as solely mental health amid calls for a "clear plan on action".

The Samaritans said there remains a “taboo” when it comes to speaking about suicide and called on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to “speak up” and demonstrate his commitment to preventing more lives being lost this way.

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Tuesday is World Suicide Prevention Day.

Figures published last month by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed suicide rates registered in England and Wales in 2023 were the highest in more than two decades.

There were 6,069 suicides registered in the two nations in 2023, up from 5,642 in 2022.

The rate of 11.4 deaths per 100,000 people in 2023 was the highest rate seen since 1999.

Research by global experts, led by the University of Oxford, has called for a “change in the narrative” to move from presenting suicide as a solely mental health issue to a wider acknowledgement of the impact of factors such as poverty, debt, addictions, homelessness, abuse, discrimination and social isolation.

Professor Keith Hawton, from the university’s centre for suicide research, said: “Suicide is a societal issue that requires a societal response. Many suicides are preventable and public health strategies generally have the biggest impacts on reducing population suicide rates.”

Professor Jane Pirkis, who was co-lead on the research published in the Lancet Public Health, said while suicide is often thought of as stemming from mental illness, factors like financial hardship, social isolation, discrimination and domestic violence and abuse “wield a major influence”.

She argued that addressing these “is likely to lead to sizeable reductions in suicide rates”, adding that researchers are “calling on governments from around the world to take a ‘suicide prevention in all policies’ approach that would see consideration given to how actions in a range of sectors might influence suicide and its prevention”.

Separately, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) called for employers to address the causes of workplace stress in light of its figures showing a 29 per cent rise in staff seeking support for suicidal ideation from the college’s advice line in the first six months of this year.

Samaritans chief executive Julie Bentley demanded more detail from the new Government on its suicide prevention plan.

She said while discussing mental health has become more common, there “is still a taboo when it comes to suicide that is costing people their lives”.

The Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England have been contacted for comment.

Samaritans can be contacted for free, 24/7, on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org or visit www.samaritans.org