Figures in UK show less dramatic increases in suicide rates compared to the USthierry ehrmann

This article contains discussions of severe mental health issues and societal trends in suicide rates.

A recent report by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that the American suicide rate has reached its highest point in close to 30 years. Meanwhile, the most recent figures from the UK, collated by Samaritans, suggest that suicides had been decreasing, before a resurgence from 2007 onwards.

While the middle-aged remain at a highest risk of suicides – seeing a significant increase in risk in the latest round of figures – suicide has again reinforced its position as a leading cause of death in the young. US figures suggest that suicide is the third most likely cause of death for those aged 15-24 (behind unintentional injury and homicide). UK figures, which are collated differently, suggest that the broad grouping of 'suicide and injury/poisoning of unknown extent' is either the leading or second leading cause of death for the groups aged  5-19 and 20-34.

What is more shocking than this is that, according to the World Health Organisation, for every person who commits suicide, there are 20 suicide attempts. In the UK, for example, this suggests that there were around 11,000 suicide attempts in people aged 15-24. Numerous Cambridge students will unfortunately know people who have attempted, or in the worst case, committed suicide.

So, the question becomes: 'what can we do to help those with suicidal thoughts, such that the burden on the chronically underfunded, frequently charitable, suicide prevention services is lessened'?

The OECD group of developed countries has identified the causes of suicide as two-fold: just under half can be attributed to physical causes such as imbalances in brain chemistry, and the remainder to psychological issues. The most frequent of these psychological issues are depression and anxiety, two conditions which frequently go hand in hand.

The NHS identifies a number of causes of (clinical) depression, such as stressful life events, longstanding illness, alcohol and drug problems, as well as hereditary factors. It is important to recognise, however, that it is often a combination of these factors which leads to the most significant health risks. At Cambridge, for example, significant work-based stresses combined with pre-existing illnesses (for example, eating disorders) can often lead to depression or suicidal thoughts.

While it is important to remember that depression is considered a treatable condition in most cases and that a range of services are available, funding for these services is still limited. For some of the most effective treatments, such as talking therapies, waiting lists can be months long. This means that – aside from the maxim that prevention is better than cure, and not forgetting just how important these sorts of services are – we need to look at how to attempt to stop people slipping into the 'downward spiral' which often characterises clinical depression.

Various studies collated by the Dutch-based World Happiness Database suggest that those with happier and more fulfilled lives tend to be in long-term relationships, have more close friendships, are active in work and free time, and, perhaps surprisingly, be active in politics. In addition, people tend to be happier if they believe that they themselves are good-looking, and also if others consider them good-looking (though this effect is more pronounced for men). People who drink moderately tend to be happier than non-drinkers – though those who drink a lot are significantly unhappier.

This is very significant, again, for young people. Young people are less likely to be in long-term relationships, and are typically less directly engaged in politics, often because they are developing a political position or are apathetic to the current political landscape. At the same time, young people and especially students are subject to high levels of financial uncertainty as well as facing a near-constant cycle of exam-related stress. Student drinking culture, as well as the highly appearance-driven society in which we currently exist are also going to be strong contributory factors.

When we consider these pressures in the context of social media, with its tendency to exaggerate the successes of successful people and mask the failures of everyone else, there is certainly cause for concern. While this number of factors seems daunting to say the least, we can take a positive approach to these issues.

Happiness can be visualised as a balance between expectations and reality: when reality exceeds our expectations we are happier. As such, being able to successfully manage a response to events – particularly those outside one’s control – is key in maintaining mental well-being. Dealing with supposed failures in this way is essential in Cambridge in particular, with many students arriving with high expectations, based on past successes.

Reducing suicides in the young needs a wide-ranging approach across a range of levels of intervention. This includes adequate funding for suicide prevention services, as well as better availability of treatment for mental illnesses. At the very basic level, however, we could all manage our expectations and perceived failures better and support those close to us to do the same – since due to the advent of new and evolving pressures, this has been especially difficult for some.

Having trouble with any of these issues? Get in touch with Samaritans: 116 123 (UK)(ROI)