Suicide rates in our area are among highest in country

Suicide rates in Aylesbury over the last decade are some of the highest in the England, recent figures reveal.
PICTURE POSED BY MODEL A woman showing signs of depression.. Picture date: Monday March 9, 2015. Photo credit should read: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire PPP-150212-131644001PICTURE POSED BY MODEL A woman showing signs of depression.. Picture date: Monday March 9, 2015. Photo credit should read: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire PPP-150212-131644001
PICTURE POSED BY MODEL A woman showing signs of depression.. Picture date: Monday March 9, 2015. Photo credit should read: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire PPP-150212-131644001

The constituency was found to be 195th out of the 532 around the country, with 134 deaths ruled to be suicide from 1999-2013.

In 2007, there were three, which is the lowest number of suicides in that period, rising each year from 10 in 2010, 11 in 2011 and 2012, to 14 in 2013.

There were fewer suicides in Buckingham, which ranked joint 368 with 112 suicides.

The Isle of Wight had the worst number, totalling 247 suicides over the whole period, and Castle Point had the best record, with 64 suicides in the same time period.

High risk warning signs of a person on the verge of committing suicide, according to the NHS, include threatening or talking about killing themselves and actively looking for ways to do so.

Low risk indicators include self-harming, becoming withdrawn or a change in their sleep patterns.

In the same period Hemel Hempstead had 107 suicides, and there were 132 in Milton Keynes, both of which are more than 60 fewer than in Aylesbury.

A spokesman from Mind, a mental health charity, said: “Often people struggle in silence with their mental health problems and find it difficult to know how to ask for help.

“If you think someone you know is suicidal, one of the most important things you can do is to talk to them about how they feel and be there to listen.

“You may feel pressure ‘to say the right thing’, but just being there and listening in a compassionate way is vital to helping that someone feel less isolated and frightened.”

Anyone struggling with any issues to do with suicide should contact their GP, call 999, go to A&E, call the Samaritans (116 123) or speak to friends and family.