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WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES BY SENATOR S.C. FERGUSON
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 18th JUNE 2013
Question
How many attempted suicides and actual suicides have there been over the past 5 years?
Answer
Between 2008 and 2011 there were an average of 13-14 suicides each year, ranging from in any one year from seven to 25 (see Figure 1). However figures have dropped significantly during the last 3 years.
Figure 1: Numbers of suicides and open verdicts in past five years
Year | Total | Open Verdict |
2008 | 16 | 0 |
2009 | 25 | 1 |
2010 | 9 | 1 |
2011 | 11 | 0 |
2012* | 7 | 1 |
*provisional: subject to sign-off by Deputy Viscount
In the UK open verdicts are included in research on suicide, for this reason they are also included here.
Initial indications from 2013 suggest that the trend towards a reduction in the number of deaths from suicide is continuing.
Attempted suicide
Attempted suicide is a more difficult question to answer and is usually estimated by looking at attendances at local Emergency Departments.
The Jersey Emergency Department data for 2012 showed 51 attendances coded as deliberate self harm', the majority of these were for people under the age of 35.
Some of these cases would be attempted suicide, but they could equally have been a cry for help' or a behavioural issue. We have no way of knowing for sure and, therefore, it is not possible to ascertain with any degree of certainty how many emergency DSH cases were actual attempted suicides.