One Person Takes Their Own Life Every Week In Cornwall Report Reveals

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One person takes their own life every single week in Cornwall, a new hard-hitting report on mental health in the county has revealed. The suicide rate in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly is higher than both the South West and national average.

In Cornwall, risk factors which have been identified for suicide and suicide attempts include: men being three times more likely to take their own lives; people aged 30 to 59 are most at risk; mental illness; treatment and care after suicide attempt and previous self-harming behaviour. Other factors include physical disabling or painful illness; alcohol and drug misuse; living alone, social exclusion or isolation; bereavement; family breakdown and conflict; trauma, abuse and sexual violence; identifying as LGBTQ+; leaving care; and deprivation, financial insecurity, unemployment and debt.

Health watchdog Healthwatch Cornwall was commissioned by Public Health Cornwall (PH) and Integrated Care Board (ICB) Cornwall and Isles of Scilly to undertake the latest research, engagement and prevention programme culminating in ‘Cornish Communities in Mind’ mental health and suicide prevention report.

Read more: Cornwall’s suicide rate is higher than the national average

The report which involved more than 280 people talking about their experience of mental health over the past year, revealed the harsh truth that life in an idyllic location known for its beautiful beaches and rugged coastline and quaint fishing villages can be really hard with joblessness, homelessness and other hardships and traumas and a perceived lack of help, leading many people to contemplate suicide as the only way to deal with their problems.

The one-year research involved people from diverse communities and populations from 14 groups across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, including veterans, those with long Covid, key and essential workers and older people. The project sought to capture the experiences of service users and their families, family members bereaved by suicide, health care professionals and the voluntary sector.

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“It’s not enough just having a roof over your head, without anything under my feet I was lost.” Said one of the participants. “Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. If my childhood trauma had been addressed, I don’t think that I would have had my breakdown and lost everything.”

The report’s author, Michelle Hooker, from Healthwatch Cornwall, said: “The Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly suicide rate is significantly higher than the average in the South West and England. On average more than one person dies by suicide every week in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. Every single one of these deaths is a tragic loss and has a devastating impact on families, friends, colleagues, communities and services.”

CornwallLive regularly reports on suicide inquests and addictions to alcohol or drug and mental health issues often feature in the reasons behind these tragic deaths. Only last month Delabole man Martin Pound who was popular and loved by many, took his own life after ignoring family’s pleas to get mental health support.

Earlier this month, an inquest heard how Jack Barrett, a 15-year-old lad from Falmouth, who had struggled with mental health issues and drug taking for years, took his own life. However the coroner ruled that it was not possible to say, because of his impaired judgement, whether suicide had been his intention.

Launched at the Towards Zero Suicide event hosted by PH Cornwall on November 25 at Heartlands in Pool the report highlights the experiences of service users, looking at what has worked well and what could be improved to prevent mental health problems reaching crisis point.

Healthwatch Cornwall said the findings and recommendations will lead to a series of new voluntary sector services due to begin in April 2023, currently out to tender. Healthwatch Cornwall will continue to monitor the outcome of these new services to ensure they meet the needs and gaps in services identified in the report.

The project also looked at what worked for individual groups, with some suggesting the need for support groups, better access to professional services and GPs. A key finding was that people found they had to retell their story with every interaction with health and social care, which many found distressing.

Other key findings were 16 per cent of people named green space as important to their mental wellbeing, 12 per cent found meditation helpful while GPs need more training to gain a better understanding of mental health. Meanwhile talking therapies and exercise were named as the two top elements of ‘what worked well’ for the whole group, with 29 per cent, while friends and family scored only six per cent. Nine per cent reported that nothing worked.

Ms Hooker added: “The response from ten of the 14 population groups told us that there is a need to treat the cause rather than the symptom. This was particularly prevalent among veterans, those with experience of gambling harm, people with a mental health diagnosis and those at risk of self-harm and suicide. People told us that they would like support to work through past experiences and treat unresolved trauma.

“People also told us they find it difficult to explain their medical history repeatedly to different professionals, especially if this involves reliving a traumatic experience.”

As Paula Chappell, public health practitioner and suicide prevention lead for Public Health Cornwall, explained, it is not just the person who takes their own life who is affected but their loves ones, family and friends who have to deal with their own trauma and bereavement.

She added: “The impact also extends into the wider community and to all services involved, with an estimated 135 people affected by each suicide. This is why it is vital that we listen to people to find out how we can offer the most effective support, and engagement work carried out by Healthwatch Cornwall and others plays a crucial role in this.

“The more we can break down barriers and empower people to speak openly and honestly about their feelings, the better for everyone. The new Suicide Prevention Strategy for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly tackles a number of the issues raised in the report but there is always more work to be done.”

A spokeswoman for the Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the county’s mental health services, said: “We’re active and long-standing backers of the local zero suicide initiative. Dr Ellen Wilkinson is our former medical director and champion of initiatives to break down the stigma associated with both mental health and suicide for example our regular slots on the BBC and initiatives like ‘Don’t Flush Your Life Away’. She was a keynote speaker at our event.

“Only a small number of people who die by suicide have contact with mental health services. This is why it’s so important for everyone to know it’s safe to talk about suicide, that talking about it will not make it happen and what do so if someone says they feel suicidal.”