Brighton & Hove Has Highest Suicide Rate In South East

Brighton and Hove has the highest suicide rate in the south east, according to a new three-year prevention strategy.

Figures presented to Brighton and Hove City Council’s Health and Wellbeing Board showed that, on average, 38 people from Brighton and Hove died by suicide each year from 2019 to 2021.

The figures are a third higher than the national average and on the increase among those aged 10 to 24.

The board – made up of councillors, NHS chiefs and voluntary sector representatives – considered an action plan for 2024 to 2027 to provide better support for those at risk.

At a meeting at Hove Town Hall on Tuesday (7 November) the board was told that the priority groups in the strategy would be

• Children and young people
• Middle-aged men
• People who have self-harmed
• People in contact with mental health services
• People in contact with the justice system
• Autistic people
• Pregnant women and new mothers

Green councillor Pete West said that the strategy’s ambitions should be shared by the whole council because the issues affecting suicide risks ranged from homelessness and employment prospects to the “cost of living crisis”.

He said:

“We need to make sure that we’re alert to the contributing factors. The report highlights men are more likely to commit suicide but the rate for women is rising.

“Also, almost half of transgender people report suicidal thoughts in the last year. More young people than nationally are at risk.”

Labour councillor Tristram Burden said that action to minimise suicide prevention had to be co-ordinated.

Councillor Burden said:

“There are a variety of actions here which are really going to tackle this problem, especially how we’re making suicide everyone’s business.

“That is a very important action to take – and pushing for frank and open conversations in the workplace and our communities, bearing in mind about being careful about the audience we are addressing.”

Conservative councillor Emma Hogan, who works as a psychiatrist, said:

“It’s important to make it everyone’s business. Many of the people this ends up happening to haven’t been part of mental health services.

“I would like to reassure everyone and thank the staff that are involved in the care of many of these people because there is a lot of good work going on from the staff in the Sussex Partnership and the voluntary sector.”

Community Works representative Jo Martindale highlighted the training available from suicide prevention group Grassroots to support the most vulnerable.

The charity has provided training for 570 school and college staff across Sussex and set up a free app called Stay Alive to help those experiencing suicidal thoughts.

Separately, last weekend the Sussex Police Federation said on its Facebook page that police officers were taking their lives at a rate of more than one a month nationally and that the figure had been rising.