Why is this HEAT target important?
Suicide prevention is a major public health challenge in Scotland, where the suicide rate is higher than it is in England. Since 2002, when the Scottish Government's Choose Life strategy set out a target to reduce the rate of population suicides by 20% by 2013, a wide range of suicide prevention activity has taken place across Scotland both nationally and locally. This has included action by the NHS, Local Authorities and the voluntary sector. For example, under the previous HEAT 5 suicide prevention training target, NHS Boards were required to train 50% of frontline, accident and emergency and substance misuse staff in suicide prevention awareness techniques.
How are we performing?
Target due for delivery end 2013
The 2002 National Strategy and Action Plan to Prevent Suicide (Choose Life) set a target to reduce suicides in Scotland by 20 per cent by 2013. This would mean a reduction from an age-sex-standardised rate of 17.4 per 100,000 population in 2000-2002 to 13.9 per 100,000 population in 2011-2013 (3 year rolling average periods are used in order to smooth out fluctuations which can happen on a year-to-year basis. Annual data - for the previous calendar year - are published by the General Register Office for Scotland each summer).
The rate for 2008-10 was 15.0 per 100,000 compared with 15.4 per 100,000 in 2007-09. Between 2000-02 and 2008-10, there has been an overall downward trend of 13.8 per cent in suicide rates.
The graph below shows the Scotland level suicide rate since 2000-02.
Further Information
Choose Life, the national strategy and action plan to prevent suicide in Scotland
Mental Health Delivery Plan
Towards a Mentally Flourishing Scotland (2009)
Suicide Prevention Education and Training statistics
Scottish Public Health Observatory Suicide statistics
General Register Office for Scotland Suicide statistics
Related National Outcomes