Strong link between disadvantage and suicide, says Samaritans

The state of the British economy, including low incomes, job insecurity, zero-hours contracts, unmanageable debts and poor housing, is putting people at increased risk of suicide, according to a report by the Samaritans.

The report, Dying from Inequality, says there is “overwhelming evidence of a strong link between socioeconomic disadvantage and suicidal behaviour”.

It says governments should place a stronger emphasis on suicide prevention as an inequality issue. It calls for national suicide prevention strategies to be targeted at the most vulnerable people and places, in order to reduce geographical inequalities in suicide.

Samaritans also calls on workplaces to put in place suicide preventions plans and provide better psychological support for employees experiencing job insecurity or affected by downsizing.

“Men in the lowest social class, living in the most deprived areas, are up to 10 times more at risk of suicide then those in the highest social class living in the most affluent areas,” the report says.

Recent research indicates middle-aged men are at higher suicide risk due to economic recession. Unemployed people are two to three times more likely to die by suicide than those with a job.

The least skilled occupations have higher rates of suicide, and a low level of educational attainment and no home ownership has been found to increase an individuals risk of suicide, the report says.

Suicide rates are two to three times higher in the most deprived neighbourhoods compared to the most affluent, and admissions to hospital after self-harm are two times higher.

Disadvantaged people are less likely to seek help for mental health problems and less likely to be referred by GPs to specialist mental health services after self-harm, the report says.

The Samaritans chief executive, Ruth Sutherland, said: “Living in poverty shouldn’t mean losing your life. Going through difficult times like losing your job or being in debt shouldn’t mean not wanting to live. But that is what’s happening in the UK and Ireland today. Suicide is killing the most disadvantaged and vulnerable people, devastating families and communities.”

Among the recommendations is better training of service staff in disadvantaged areas. “Government, public services, employers, service providers, communities, family and friends all have a role in making sure help is relevant and accessible when it matters most,” Sutherland said.

“Everyone can feel overwhelmed at times in their life. People at risk of suicide may have employers, or they may seek help at jobcentres or go to their GP. They may come into contact with national and local government agencies, perhaps on a daily basis. So, in the light of this report, we are asking key people and organisations from across society – for example, those working in housing, in businesses, medical staff, job centre managers – to all take action to make sure their service, their organisation, their community is doing all it can to promote mental health and prevent the tragedy of suicide.”

• In the UK, the Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14. Hotlines in other countries can be found here.

Strong link between disadvantage and suicide, says Samaritans

GPs" exams disadvantage ethnic minority students, says high court judge

International health care graduates are nearly 15 occasions more likely to fail the CSA than white Uk graduates. Photograph: Andrew Matthews/PA

A substantial court judge has warned the body responsible for conducting GPs’ exams that it need to adjust its evaluation method after acknowledging that ethnic minority healthcare graduates were place at a disadvantage by the recent method.

At a judicial evaluation in central London, Mr Justice John Mitting rejected a claim by the British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (Bapio) that the clinical skills assessment (CSA), which includes position-playing assessments, should be declared unlawful.

He stated that the Royal School of Basic Practitioners (RCGP) was neither racially discriminatory nor in breach of its public sector equality duty. But he explained that there was a disparity in outcomes amongst different groups and the RCGP should take action.

“If it does not act and its failure to act is the topic of a more challenge in the future, it may possibly nicely be that it will be held to have breached its duty,” he said. “But, as of now, I am content that it’s not in breach of its duty.”

The court heard that United kingdom graduates from ethnic minority backgrounds were almost four instances much more most likely to fail the CSA, and worldwide healthcare graduates had been practically 15 occasions more very likely to fail than white Uk graduates. The CSA was launched in 2007 and is taken at the finish of three years of vocational instruction.

Mitting mentioned the RCGP had carried out numerous assessments that identified the disparity in performance amongst various groups and that it must now take action, like by picking a lot more representative examiners and role-gamers for the assessment.

He said he was happy that the CSA “place south Asians of both categories [Uk-educated and people who studied overseas] at a disadvantage” but he described the assessment itself as “proportionate” and designed to accomplish “reputable ends”.

Mitting said the relative functionality of worldwide healthcare graduates could be explained, at least in component, by inferior education techniques overseas. He described the number of individuals who failed as quite modest.

Mitting stated the declare had been brought in great faith and in the public curiosity, expressing hope that it would lead to progress. “The bringing of this claim is probably, in the finish, to deliver some thing of advantage to the medical profession,” he explained and concluded by describing the final result for Bapio as “if not a legal victory then a moral accomplishment”.

Bapio president Dr Ramesh Mehta was heartened by the judge’s concluding remarks. “Though we could have lost the battle at this time, we come to feel we have won the war because the judge has also mentioned to the RCGP that they should now take action,” he stated.

Bapio’s attorney, William O’Neill, from Linder Myers solicitors explained it would appeal the verdict.

RCGP chair Dr Maureen Baker welcomed the verdict. “We have often been, and remain, concerned by this situation, and are determined to continue to perform with all other interested stakeholders in both knowing it, and looking to treatment it,” she explained. Baker emphasised that the purpose of the CSA was to ensure “GPs meet the highest standards”.

Mitting also dismissed a declare by Bapio towards the Basic Medical Council for a breach of the public sector equality duty, ordering Bapio to pay out expenses capped at £50,000 to be shared among the RCGP and the GMC.

GPs" exams disadvantage ethnic minority students, says high court judge