About us

As the UK’s leading research programme into suicide prevention in clinical services, The National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Safety in Mental Health has the overall aim of improving safety for all mental health patients.

We provide crucial evidence to support service and training improvements and, ultimately, to contribute to a reduction in patient suicide rates and an overall decrease in the national suicide rate.

Our core database is a national consecutive case series that:

• Examines the circumstances leading up to and surrounding the deaths by suicide of people under the recent care of, or recently discharged from, specialist mental health services;
• Identifies factors in the management and care of patients which may be related to suicide;
• Recommends measures to reduce the number of suicides by people receiving specialist mental health care.

We also undertake studies into suicide prevention in the general population, and report on the incidence of homicide by people in contact with mental health services.

• View our reports and findings
• Explore our projects

Our work is evolving

The National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Safety in Mental Health was established at the University of Manchester in 1996.

In April 2018, our work programme changed. Our research into patient suicide continues and, in addition, our suicide programme increasingly focuses on people not in contact with mental health services.

We have reduced our homicide programme but continue to report the number of homicides by people in contact with mental health services. Our Sudden Unexplained Death study has ended.

Our funding and governance

The Mental Health Clinical Outcome Review Programme delivered by the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Safety in Mental Health is commissioned by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP) on behalf of NHS England, NHS Wales, the Health and Social Care Division of the Scottish Government, the Northern Ireland Department of Health and the States of Jersey and Guernsey.

An Independent Advisory Group (IAG) for HQIP provides independent external oversight of the work of the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Safety in Mental Health. The IAG includes representatives from key stakeholder groups, and lay members.