Written question asked by James McMurdock (Independent (affiliation)) on Monday, 20 April 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 22 April 2026. It was answered by Zubir Ahmed (Labour) on Wednesday, 29 April 2026 on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care.

Suicide

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what analysis he has carried out on the factors contributing to disparities in suicide rates in males and females.

Answer

Every suicide is a tragedy that has a devastating and enduring impact on families, friends, and communities. In England, men account for the majority of suicide deaths, and the male suicide rate is approximately three times higher than the female rate.

That is why we are committed to delivering the Suicide Prevention Strategy for England. The strategy highlights a set of priority groups for tailored and targeted support, including middle-aged men, and identifies key risk factors with strong links to suicide, such as financial difficulty, substance misuse, social isolation, harmful gambling, domestic abuse, and physical illness, and that can affect men and women differently. We will deliver a Suicide Prevention Pathfinders Programme for middle-aged men, a neighbourhood-based programme focused on improving outcomes, investing up to £3.6 million over three years for middle-aged men in areas where they are at greatest risk of taking their own lives.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 128574
Session: 2024-26
Subjects: Suicide
Contains statistics: Yes
Link: View this Written question on www.parliament.uk

Suicide

Secondary information

Librarians' tools