Suicide up by almost 50 per cent in western West Yorkshire

Ministry of Justice figures show western West Yorkshire (Bradford district, Kirklees and Calderdale) coroner's court completed 558 inquests into deaths last year.

Of these, 129 had a conclusion of suicide - meaning there was a 44 per cent increase from the 82 in 2020.

There were 97 verdicts of suicide for men, up from 65 the year before, and 32 for women, an increase of 17 in 2020.

The MoJ said that though the inquests were completed in 2021, some of the deaths may have occurred prior but cases were delayed due to Covid-19 restrictions.

AndysManClub do great work in helping men with their mental health issues.

Neil Waine, of AndysManClub, a charity that focuses on men's mental health, said: "The figures are, quite honestly, horrendous. The challenges of life facing people not just locally, but nationally, are increasing and the pressures grow because of that. 

"At AndysManClub we will continue to offer a safe, non-judgemental space for men over 18 to come and hopefully, with the support of local people and organisations more men will learn about us and make that step and ease those stresses and burdens that many men feel."

Coroners across England and Wales reached 4,820 suicide conclusions last year – up from 4,475 in 2020 and also a record high.

Nationally, men accounted for 75 per cent of lives lost to suicide last year – in total, there were 3,596, up from 3,417 in 2020.

Meanwhile, there was a 16 per cent annual increase in suicide conclusions for women.

Bradford's HM Senior Coroner Martin Fleming is unable to pin down any specific reasons behind the huge increase in the past year.

Senior Coroner Martin Fleming.

He said: “I cannot comment on any specific cases, that said, the national and local statistics speak for themselves.

"The interpretation of those statistics is really a matter for the social and medical organisations, who are best placed to analyse the statistical correlations.

"The causes of such tragic deaths remain multifactorial and it is difficult to provide any generic explanations.” 

Samaritans said every life lost to suicide is a tragedy that can be prevented, but warned the figures should be treated with caution.

The charity said a 2018 High Court ruling – which lowered the standard of proof for a suicide verdict – has also meant that more deaths are likely to be classified as suicide.

If you are dealing with issues mentioned in this story and need help, you can contact:

Mind in Bradford, open between 12 noon – 12 midnight every day, on 01274 730815.

If you need urgent mental health support, call First Response 01274 221181

For Samaritans, text 116 123 free from any phone or call 0330 094 5717 (local call charges apply).