Mental health services needed for chronic illness patients
By Liz Lockhart
At least 10% of suicides in Britain are associated with chronic illness and account for over 400 deaths per year, according to a new report.
In many cases people decided to end their own lives due to physical rather than mental illness, the study published by Demos reveals.
The report is entitled ‘The Truth about Suicide’ and reveals that some people are killing themselves at a ‘younger age in order to avoid severe symptoms and greater pain in later life’.
The figure of 10% was reached after obtaining data from a variety of sources which included data from freedom of information requests to 147 primary care trusts (PCT’s). PCT’s are supposed to conduct annual suicide audits but in total only 29 out of 147 were able to provide the requested data.
The report found that in 4,390 suicide cases which occurred last year, 10% of this incidence rate was accounted for by people experiencing some form of serious physical illness as an influencing factor.
The report recommended that as part of the government consultation on preventing suicide, they should consider making local suicide audits compulsory.
We suggest that mental health care provision for this group of chronically sick people be considered and improved.
Louise Bazalgette, the lead author, said the "lack of attention paid to people with terminal or chronic illness committing suicide is a gross dereliction of duty on the part of the government and health services. The difficulty we experienced in tracking down evidence of the relationship between physical illness and suicide suggests a wilful avoidance of what is an extremely important public health issue.
"The results are devastating: at least 400 people with terminal or chronic illness commit suicide every year and this cannot continue to be ignored.’
Earlier this year the government’s mental health strategy was released. It acknowledged the need to improve the physical health of people with mental health problems as part of their overall treatment. However, it is important that their forthcoming suicide prevention strategy also contains an emphasis on the support of people with long-term conditions who become depressed, anxious and develop other mental health problems.
