Sometimes numbers can be very disturbing. Consider these……..
“There were 6,069 suicides registered in England and Wales (11.4 deaths per 100,000 people) in 2023; this is an increase compared with 2022 (10.7 deaths per 100,000, or 5,642 deaths) and the highest rate seen since 1999.
The suicide rate for males in England and Wales increased to 17.4 deaths per 100,000 in 2023, from 16.4 deaths per 100,000 in 2022; this is the highest rate for males since 1999.
The suicide rate for females in England and Wales increased to 5.7 deaths per 100,000 in 2023, from 5.4 deaths per 100,000 in 2022; this is the highest rate for females since 1994.
The age-specific suicide rate was highest for males aged 45 to 49 years (25.5 deaths per 100,000), and for females aged 50 to 54 years (9.2 deaths per 100,000).
(https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/bulletins/suicidesintheunitedkingdom/2023)”
How do you respond to the above? I felt shocked. I wondered what could be behind the numbers, especially the increases. And, in quite a deep way, I wished I had not come across them. I didn’t want to think about them. Something in me wanted to turn away from them. I suspect I am not alone in that sort of reaction. Denial is quite a common response to unpleasant things. Even if they are not happening directly to us, we can feel disturbed, unsettled, even frightened by them. Better not to notice. Better to ignore any signs of problems. Better to look the other way.
I have a concern that this is the sort of thing that may be happening in the workplace, especially as home working can make that quite a lonely place. The experience I have had of working with actual or potential suicides underlines two things.
There’s a need to notice what’s happening with someone. What stresses they are under? What losses they have sustained? Someone needs to do that.
There’s a need to listen, to gain a hearing where what’s noticed is concerning. Someone needs to do that. And I wonder if that someone could be a “chaplain”; someone actually looking to notice and listen. These are, after all, what chaplains usually do. A boss may not have the time and colleagues have their own issues to manage. Noticing and listening are key “chaplaincy functions”. They may not appear very active or obvious, but they can be vital. If you are a chaplain and worry about your effectiveness, then, if you are noticing and listening you are doing your job. If you are in a workplace, do you have someone doing these things? And…..could you help find someone to do them for your workplace? Of course, they may be a lot more to helping someone with suicidal thoughts, but it is a start! The numbers indicate it is needed