Graney et al (2023)

This study is a detailed examination of suicide in a sample of over 240 men aged 40-54 who died by suicide in 2017. We collected information on the factors related to suicide from official investigations, mainly inquests.

We found a complex pattern of stresses and recent adversity before suicide including physical ill-health, self-harm, alcohol and/or drug misuse, and bereavement, including by suicide. Economic stresses, including unemployment, financial and housing problems were particularly important factors in the middle-aged men we examined. Most (91%) men were in contact with support services, 67% in the previous 3 months.

The findings suggest economic support (especially at a time of severe economic pressure), addressing isolation, joint working with the voluntary sector, and addressing specific stresses, such as bereavement, may help reduce risk.

Read the full paper:

• Antecedents and service contact in an observational study of 242 suicide deaths in middle-aged men in England, Scotland and Wales, 2017 (BMJ Public Health)

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