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Dear Mr Matthews,
Thank you for your email of 15 June to Norman Lamb about suicide. I have been asked to reply.
I was sorry to read of your own experiences of mental health issues, and I appreciate the concerns you raise with regard to promoting suicide prevention. You may be interested to know that the suicide prevention strategy, ‘Preventing suicide in England’, was published on 10 September 2012 to coincide with World Suicide Prevention Day. The strategy highlights the importance of targeting people most at risk by providing the right interventions at the right time.
As well as targeting high-risk groups, improving the mental health of the population can play an important role in preventing suicide. The implementation of the measures set out in ‘No health without mental health’ will build individual and community resilience, promote mental health and wellbeing, and challenge health inequalities where they exist.
Although good progress has been made in reducing the suicide rate in England over the past ten years, ministers are aware that it is important to be vigilant. Around 4,500 people took their own life in 2011. The rise in the number of people committing suicide is a cause for concern. However, the three-year suicide rate has remained at approximately 7.9 deaths per 100,000 since 2005-07. The 2009-11 rate represents a fall of 15 per cent since 1999-01.
Suicide continues to be a major public health issue, particularly at a time of economic and employment uncertainty. Effective suicide prevention needs a co-ordinated approach with input from a wide range of partner organisations and sectors.
You may also wish to convey your sentiments about raising awareness of suicide in schools to the Department for Education. The contact details are:
Thank you for your email of 15 June to Norman Lamb about suicide. I have been asked to reply.
I was sorry to read of your own experiences of mental health issues, and I appreciate the concerns you raise with regard to promoting suicide prevention. You may be interested to know that the suicide prevention strategy, ‘Preventing suicide in England’, was published on 10 September 2012 to coincide with World Suicide Prevention Day. The strategy highlights the importance of targeting people most at risk by providing the right interventions at the right time.
As well as targeting high-risk groups, improving the mental health of the population can play an important role in preventing suicide. The implementation of the measures set out in ‘No health without mental health’ will build individual and community resilience, promote mental health and wellbeing, and challenge health inequalities where they exist.
Although good progress has been made in reducing the suicide rate in England over the past ten years, ministers are aware that it is important to be vigilant. Around 4,500 people took their own life in 2011. The rise in the number of people committing suicide is a cause for concern. However, the three-year suicide rate has remained at approximately 7.9 deaths per 100,000 since 2005-07. The 2009-11 rate represents a fall of 15 per cent since 1999-01.
Suicide continues to be a major public health issue, particularly at a time of economic and employment uncertainty. Effective suicide prevention needs a co-ordinated approach with input from a wide range of partner organisations and sectors.
You may also wish to convey your sentiments about raising awareness of suicide in schools to the Department for Education. The contact details are:
Department for Education
Castle View House
East Lane
Runcorn
Cheshire
WA7 2GJ
Telephone: 0370 000 2288
Website: https://www.education.gov.uk/help/contactus/dfe
I hope this reply is helpful.
Yours sincerely,
Harry Darnell
Ministerial Correspondence and Public Enquiries
Department of Health
Castle View House
East Lane
Runcorn
Cheshire
WA7 2GJ
Telephone: 0370 000 2288
Website: https://www.education.gov.uk/help/contactus/dfe
I hope this reply is helpful.
Yours sincerely,
Harry Darnell
Ministerial Correspondence and Public Enquiries
Department of Health
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