Recent increase in suicide among young men in United Kingdom - Research Paper Example

 Recent increase in suicide among young men in United Kingdom Introduction “You have a choice. Live or die. Every breath is a choice. Every minute is a choice. To be or not to be”- Chuck Palahniuk The last century has seen a remarkable worldwide progress in the field of medical sciences, in respect to the availability of better facilities for faster diagnoses, and advanced medications for a better treatment. Consequently this has led to a remarkable improvement in the quality of lives lead by many people suffering from various ailments; and there has been an overall general improvement of health, especially amongst the citizens of the modern industrialized countries. However, casting a long shadow on this picture of medical innovations is the fact that, suicide still remains a major cause for all the deaths occurring around the world. Another poignant matter in this depressing picture, is presented by the fact that a large section of these suicide figures comprise of young men and boys, who all at the very prime of their lives decide to end it all, by opting to commit suicide. In 2002, there was an estimated 877,000 lives that were lost worldwide owing to suicides (Mann et al., JAMA 2005,. 2064-2074). The World Health Organization (WHO) tells us that more than 90,000 adolescents in the age group of 10-19 years commit suicide every year, while more than 4 million in this age range attempt suicide, worldwide (WHO, 2001). WHO further tells us that, globally, suicide is among the major three causes of death in young males, and the rates have gone up very high amongst the teenagers, than in any other age groups (Omar & Merrick, 2007, 75-79). If the number of deaths by suicide is taken as an aggregate between the age group of 10 to 24 years, then WHO informs that, the numbers drastically move up to 200,000 suicides per year worldwide (Barker, 2000). Despite these gloomy figures that come in from worldwide reviews, UK (England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland) has been noticing a gradual decrease in suicide amongst young men and the suicide rates have been falling from 1991 till 2007; though 2008 again saw a slight increase in the numbers of males over 15 that committed suicide (Office for National Statistics, UK suicide rates in 2008, January 2010). My article will take a close look at the suicide trend amongst the UK males in the age group of 15-35 years, and will study closely to find out the reasons behind these numbers. This article will closely study this topic, and will conduct research work on data that will be pertinent to England only. It will cover the years from around 1999 till date, and seek to find the answer to the question as to despite these vast improvements in technology, medical sciences, and the general quality of life, what is causing these young men to take this decision of giving up on life? Approach to the problem A research work is made up of various processes that are based on of different systemic questions, on the chosen theme, which ultimately leads the researcher to arrive to an in-depth knowledge on that particular issue (Graziano & Raulin, 2009, 26). In my essay, the problem is related to the topic of suicide committed by the young male population seen in England during the modern times. This issue is seen as an important part relevant to the modern society, where despite the availability of almost all luxuries to assuage one’s physical needs, young people of the age group of 15-35 years are ending their lives. Many researches in this line have shown that various psychological and socioeconomic factors are responsible for these young people to cut short their lives. In regards to fully comprehending the exact nature of this problem and understanding the reasons behind it, I have based my research work on the study of various data and a range of information obtained from various scholarly books, academic articles and journals, and the Internet. My article will conduct an in-depth study of various published articles from the newspapers, organizations associated with suicide preventing organisations based in UK, government archive files and statistical data from The UK Statute Law Database, Office for National Statistics, and WHO, and will also study the various psychological and socio-economic factors pertinent to this issue of youth suicide in UK; so as to fully comprehend the nature and scope of this public health problem, which is again showing a rising trend after falling in numbers for the past few years. This type of data collection and analysis work is work is known as secondary research and comprises of “analysing already collected data within another study” (Sarantakos, 2005, 297). The nature of a secondary research work aims to create a broad scope necessary for an in-depth exploration of a vast and complex theme as suicide amongst the male population in England, during the years 1999 to 2010. Secondary research work also gives a wider berth, for the input of more extensive data collected from all parts UK (Scotland, Britain and Wales, and Northern Ireland), thus giving a larger and wider perspective, where it is possible for one to study and compare data and information from all the 3 parts of UK, thus allowing a broader geographical representation (Sarantakos, 2005). It has also been seen that a close analysis of various secondary data collected from the academic journals, articles, books, and research papers of various experts, and scholars on this issue, helps the researcher to arrive to a conclusion which may be completely different, from the original one derived by other scholars. Information collected form works of well known writers in this field, like Durkheim, Gunnell, and Brock; and data downloaded from the different UK government agencies like ONS, and international organizations like WHO, regarding statistical representations of mortality rates by suicide amongst young males in England, and worldwide. This is quite important, as the research conducted by these governmental bodies are generally done by eminent scholars or experts in this line, who have a large mine of information readily available, which are otherwise not easy to find for common students like us to retrieve. The collection and subsequent study and analysis of secondary data is extremely useful while conducting research work that is in-depth in nature, as this sort of information serves to make the paper much more illustrative in nature. My research paper which is qualitative and analytical in nature, will thus follow the steps outlined by Graziano & Raulin. My Personal experience other’s research Initial idea procedures design observation data Communication Interpretation Stimulating Others Research Fig: 1- Research process methodology by Graziano & Raulin, 2009, 40. Discussion A brief overview of the trend of committing suicide amongst the young male population in England in the last century: Suicide has been a subject of enduring interest amongst the sociologists, for a long time. Various records of suicides from various countries, in different times, have been recorded and compared, to show the effects of social institution on individuals at that particular time period. These figures also portray the significant fact as to how society can condition the lives of the people living within it (Durkheim 1897). In the modern times suicide figures are now monitored and recorded as a key public health issue and a government health target (Department of Health 1999), since the suicide numbers tend to reflect the mental health of the present population, and also for the very basic reason that number of suicides are rising in the recent years (Dr Rory O'Connor in, BBC news, Teenage male suicides reach ‘crises levels, 2001). What is suicide? It can be best defined as the “act of intentionally putting an end to one’s own life” (Marquet, 2008, 38). WHO defines suicide as “an act with fatal outcome, which was deliberately initiated and performed by the deceased, in the knowledge or expectation of its fatal outcome, and through which the deceased aimed at realizing changes he/she desired” (WHO, 1986). Suicide amongst the young male population has been one of the most prominent characteristics of the late twentieth century industrialised nations (Cantor, 2000). During the late 1980s-90s suicide in urban England, almost took the proportions of an epidemiology, and the government was forced to consider this matter in terms of a major public health issue that was completely preventable in nature. However, though the numbers may not so high as during the 90s, but suicide continues to be a problem even today. As a news article on BBC in 2008, informs us “Whatever the individual reasons that drive people to suicide, the one thing that puts you most at risk is being a man under the age of 35. Of the 13 people who killed themselves in South Wales over the past year, all but one were men aged under 27” (Bell, The silent epidemic of male suicide, 2008). A close look at the figures that are available from 1950 to 1998 in UK (pertaining to England), will show us that suicide rates in men that were under 45 years of age nearly doubled; while on the other hand women and the elderly population showed declining rates in regards to suicide mortality figures (Bell, ibid). It was during the 1990s that the suicide graph figures reached their peak in England, with the rates amongst the young male population aged 15-24 years showing the highest numbers (Fig A). Rising suicidal statistics during the late eighties and nineties were in fact thought to represent the fast deteriorating mental health conditions of the young male population in England. Fig A: Overall rates for specific methods of suicide: England and Wales, 1968-2005. “Other” includes drowning, firearms, jumping, and sharp object. In the graphs it is evident that the suicide rates for the young male population in England (age group: 15-35 years) reached its peak during the mid-nineties after which there has been a sharp fall in the figures. Women figures show that their peak was reached during the mid-seventies, after which there has been a gradual decline in mortality numbers (Source: Biddle, L., Brock, A., Brookes, S and Gunnell, 2008). In a news article on BBC (2001) we find that it states “Suicide among the teenage male population has reached "crisis" point with a 72% increase in reported cases over 20 years. Hanging has replaced self-poisoning from car exhaust fumes as the most common suicide method among 15 to 19-year-old men, according to research published in the British Journal of Psychiatry. The number of male suicides in this age group rose from 55 per million of the population in 1970 to 100 per million of the population in 1990” (BBC news, Teenage male suicides reach ‘crises levels, 2001). This article further analyses and finds that male victims prefer violent methods to end their lives, unlike women to choose far gentler method like sleeping pills, to end their lives. In another news article that supports the fact that men indeed commit suicide more than women we find that in 2006 The Guardian states “The government yesterday announced a campaign to reduce the number of young men who kill themselves - the commonest cause of death among those aged 16 to 35 in the UK. Last year 1,300 young men killed themselves. While the rate has begun to fall, it is still much higher than among women. In the peak age group, 30 to 39, three men kill themselves for every woman who takes her life...” (Boseley, Campaign to cut suicide by young men, 2006). This indicates that even in 21st century the percentage of young males committing suicide are quite high. We will now look closely at the present state of affairs as regards this issue. Present state of suicide in young males in England: Graphs from the ‘Office for the National Statistics’ shows us that suicide rates in young men had remarkably declined during the past decades and the figures had reached their lowest during 2005. These dipping figures were applicable for all the methods used commonly for committing suicide, like hanging, or by using firearms, or by drowning. These decreasing figures cast a huge question mark over the various arguments which said, that the decreasing suicide trends amongst the young males in England were owing to the changes brought in by the modern technological innovations; like modifications made in the levels of toxicity in the gas supplied for domestic purposes, (Kreitman, 1976); or owing to the new age cars coming with fitted catalytic converters due to the new laws on the car exhaust emission, that were enforced in 1993 (Amos, 2001); or owing to the low levels of toxicity in the medicines commonly taken by individuals wanting to commit suicide by drug overdose (Gunnell et al., 1999). Though it was indeed true that there was a significant decrease in the number of suicides by young males in England (age group 25-34) by carbon monoxide poisoning after the legislation came into being, however it was also true there were also other factors (like a sound economy) that also helped in bringing down these numbers. Fig B: Source: ONS, 2007, Mortality statistics, Series DH2 no. 32 The table (fig B) shows the drop in the suicide numbers of the England young male population, belonging to the age group of 15-35 years. The group at the highest risk of suicide amongst the male group is now seen to be the age group that falls under the 24- 35 years. This has changed significantly from the 1970s when the highest risk age group were men more than 65 years of age (24 /100,000 population in 1979)(ONS, 1998). In 2002, we notice that the 24-35 age group showed the same risk numbers as that of the 35-44 years age group, (both showed 22/100000). During the late 1980s and 90s, the high risk age group for English males was from 15 to 44 years (Boseley, The Guardian, 2006), and it continues to do so till date. However, after reaching its peak during the 1990s, the suicide rates had gone down sharply till 2007, though it still remained the amongst highest five reasons cited for premature deaths pertaining to the age group of 15-35 years, in fact coming second in the list, only after accidental deaths (ONS, 2007). A closer look will reveal that during the early eighties in England, in the male age group of 15-24 years the suicide rate jumped from a mere 9 per 100,000 population (1979), to a 13 per 100,000 (1999); a whopping shoot up, that almost touched 50 %; though the recent spate in suicidal figures have gone down, yet the highest risk age group for UK males continue to remain between 15 years to 44 years, with the maximum mortality figures belonging to the age group 24-35 years. The Guardian reports that “The most common cause of deaths in the UK among people aged 10-24 is traffic accidents, which account for 30% of male deaths and 17% of female deaths. The next biggest killers of boys and young men are suicide (10%)” (Boseley, Drink and drugs a leading cause of young deaths, 2009). In 2008 we again notice an increase in the number of suicides amongst the UK males (in England) aged over 15 years of age with the total number of mortalities going up by 329, from the 2007 number of 5377, to 5706 in 2008 (Fig C). “There are more suicides among males than females. Male suicide rates peaked at 21.1 per 100,000 in 1992 and 1998 and then declined until 2007. The rate increased from 16.8 per 100,000 in 2007 to 17.7 per 100,000 in 2008” (Office for National Statistics, UK suicide rates in 2008, January 2010). Fig: C Suicide rates by sex in UK, 1991- 2008. (Source: Office for National Statistics, UK suicide rates in 2008, January 2010). Fig D: Suicide rates by sex and age-group, United Kingdom, 1991-2008. (Source: Office for National Statistics, UK suicide rates in 2008, January 2010). From this graph (Fig D) it is very evident that males in England, in the age group of 15 to 44 years are most prone to commit suicide. This graph also makes it very clear that the figures are showing a rising trend, after moving downwards starting from 1996 till 2007. To sum it up, “In England, the number of suicides in adults decreased over the 1991-2008 period. In 1991, there were 5,109 suicides compared with 4,282 in 2008. The lowest number of suicides was recorded in 2007 at 3,993. The largest yearly increase occurred between 1997 and 1998, rising from 4,498 to 4,986. For males...suicide rates fell from 20.2 and 6.5 per 100,000 respectively in 1991 to 15.8 and 4.7 per 100,000 respectively in 2008. The rates in 2008 were higher than in 2007, increasing from 14.9 per 100,000 for males...In 1998, the rate for men aged 15-44 was the highest across the age groups at 22.2 per 100,000. In 2008, the rate for this group reduced to 16.0 per 100,000” (Office for National Statistics, October 2010). From the data collected by ONS there comes into view a certain regional pattern in the suicide mortality rates as observed in England. Northern England has shown the highest numbers in regards to male mortality figures; while in 2008 it was observed that the figures were the highest in the North East England where it showed 17.8 / 100,000, while the lowest rate was observed in the East Midlands of England at 13.9/ 100,000 (ibid). In a 2008 news published by Walesonline.co.uk we find that while referring to the UK male suicide rate in general, it “Suicide rates reach a peak among males between the ages of 20 and 40; there is a secondary peak among elderly males. The age pattern is very different in females, with highest rates seen among those aged 40 to 55” (Shipton, 2008). Thus from the above figures we can now conclusively conclude that there is indeed an upward movement in the suicide graph figures after 2008, pertaining to UK youth, focussing on the state of England. We will now take a look at the legal, psychological, and socioeconomic factors that cause these suicides amongst the young male population in England. Legal aspect of suicide in England: Prior to the passing of the 1961 Suicide Act it was a criminal offense to commit suicide, and any person residing in England or other parts of UK, who attempted suicide and failed, was liable to face prosecution and even imprisonment. For those who succeeded in the act of killing themselves, the family members were mostly likely to face prosecution. In 1961, the government passed the The Suicide Act, under which the person who was committing suicide would not be held under criminal offense. However, a closer look will reveal that, by itself this act is extremely interesting and has significance, in the sense, that there are no parallel examples of this kind of law. This act in its section 1 gave out the rule of law, that states that suicide as a crime is annulled, while under section 2(1) the act states: “A person who aids, abets, counsels or procures the suicide of another, or attempt by another to commit suicide shall be liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for a term not exceeding fourteen years"(The UK Statute Law Database, Suicide Act 1961). So according to this law, the principal person who commits or tries to commit suicide, does not commit any criminal offense, yet his associates or accomplices (those who in some way or the other had helped him to commit suicide) can be held liable and sent for prosecution followed by imprisonment. This is extremely important when we look at the issue of ‘assisted suicide’ where a terminally ill person is asking for assistance and voluntarily wishes to end his life. The physician, or any other family member, or friends, who assists such a person who voluntarily wants to end life, will be held by the law for an act of conspiracy, and the wording of s.1(1) Criminal Law Act 1977 very clearly states that a conspiracy act will come into being if a person who wants to commit suicide comes into an agreement with an associate, and the latter arranges for all the things necessary for the former to commit suicide; thus creating a situation where the associate goes into an agreement of conspiracy: “(a) Will necessarily amount to or involve the commission of any offence or offences by one or more of the parties to the agreement...”( The UK Statute Law Database, Criminal Law Act 1977). Causes for committing suicide amongst young male population in England: Committing suicide is the external manifestation of many complex factors that come to play within the human psychology. Various intrinsic factors like environmental, cultural upbringing, mental ill health, may serve to act as the trigger. Modern Sociologists also consider the possibilities of various external factors, like a shock related to some traumatic incident in a person’s life may pull the trigger and acting on it, a person may on a sudden impulse decide to end his life. On 14th February 2010, in a news article The Guardian we find that it reports the death of a young UK male named Alexander Mcqueen, and analyses it. In this analysis we find that the male apparently took his life because he could not get power the death of his mother that had occurred 10 years back. Here the analysis gives us an insight into the actual circumstances, and tells us that it was not grief that killed McQueen, but despair arising from depression, and this is indeed a worrying a sign, since depression according to physicians very often lead to death. The article also represents the hideous face of media that tends sensationalises any issue, and tells us how the same news got represented elsewhere. In US McQueen died because he could not get over his mentor’s death, (who incidentally also committed suicide), while Australian papers reported that he was jilted by his Australian lover. Thus, the news was reported from 3 different angles yet no one touched upon the real issue, which is depression. Here the author worries over factor, the cluster suicide complex, where after reading the ‘sensational’ and ‘romantic’ suicide other get influenced and after any such so called ‘famous’ cases it is generally seen that many young people commit suicide. As the writer rightly says “Alexander McQueen did not kill himself because his mother died. Her death may have been a contributory factor, but the most common background to a suicide is undiagnosed depression. Suicide is a response to mental illness, not bereavement. And to suggest that McQueen was "overcome with grief" and to link his death to his mother's is not just dangerous, it's potentially lethal” (Cadwalladr, Its despair not grief, that can lead to suicide, 2010). Very often, in the context of the young male population, sociologists have conjectured that suicides will be more likely during periods of stress, like socio-economic problems (loss of job), family crises (death of a close and dear relative), or individual crises like divorce, etc. Various researchers have also seen that many people suffering from various mental disorders like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or other anxiety disorders tend to be suicidal, and almost 90% of such patients commit suicide or try to commit suicide. In an analysis by the BBC news it has been shown that young males commit suicide because “Often, they have been feeling stressed or down for some time. Things like family problems, exam pressure or bullying can make us unhappy. We feel despair. There seems no way out of our problems. Nobody seems to help. We think we'd rather be dead. Sometimes there is a 'final straw': We get dumped, fail an exam or feel threatened. We can get confused and frightened. We may drink alcohol or take drugs. Then we get self destructive” (BBC advice, Suicide) Various studies have shown that people residing in violent prone zones, like in countries where there is an ongoing civil war; or in regions where there are underlying tensions, stemming from social bias based on racism, economic conditions, or ethnicity, tend to suffer from various kinds mental health related problems like depression, anxiety, stress etc. (Muldoon et al., 2005). It has been contended by many experts that depression and other forms of mental ill health are the main reasons for committing suicide, however in cases of young males in England, only a very few percentage have been known to have visited the physician with complaints of depression prior to taking their lives (National Confidential Inquiry, 2006). Thus it becomes clear that the psychological factor provides only a part of the true picture, and now it becomes imperative that we review other factors, like the social, environmental and biological factors in order to seek a more comprehensive and clear picture. Most of the experts have given three main factors for the rising trend in suicide numbers amongst the young male population of England. These are: Social factors, economic factors and psychological factors. Social integration have been known to cause less suicides amongst males in England, and this is in line to what Durkheim had said in this essays, where he had commented that social unity helped in preventing suicides. It has been seen that for young males who are married, show less suicidal rates than those that are divorced, widowed, or staying single (NIMHE, 2007). Another social factor which has become quite common amongst UK young males is binge drinking and drug misuse, can also increase the suicidal risk (Boseley, 2009). Rates of drug and alcohol abuse are seen to be more amongst men, are significantly higher among the younger people of the age group 15-35 years (ONS, 2008). “With the exception of the marked increase in divorces in 1972 after the Divorce Reform Act 1969 came into effect, rates of divorce closely followed trends in suicide in young men at the end of the 20th century. Both increased into the 1990s and then showed a decline up to 2001 [fig E]...Published data show that unemployment rose steeply in the early 1980s and then showed a period of decline before rising again and peaking in the early 1990s. Recent age specific data show that unemployment rates also show a decline in parallel with declining suicide rates [fig E]...Data from the general household survey indicate that an upward trend in alcohol consumption throughout the 1990s may have peaked early in the 21st century with recent declines postdating declining rates of suicide [Fig E]” (Biddle, Brock, Brookes, and Gunnell, 2008). Fig E: Secular trends in suicide, divorce, unemployment, and alcohol consumption in men aged 15-34 in England (Source: ibid). Amongst the psychological factors scientists claim that there are 3 main motivating factors, and these are anger, guilt or depression; or it may also be a combination of 2, or all 3 of these factors. Religion (Islamic jihadists), Philosophy (existentialism and stoicism have to some extent supported suicide stating that since its one’s own life, there is no harm in deciding to end it; here there is the unending argument about which one to value more: a certain quality of life or the just the existence of life itself), altruisms, amongst many more such factors (these are mainly motivating factors) often cause young male members (England or elsewhere) to opt for suicide. In England, another very important factor is that of the socioeconomic factor, that affects the suicide rates in young male population. Unemployment (recent global economic downturn have resulted in joblessness in England), homelessness, and poverty (the last two are also dependent on the economic factor, and since England is going through a severe recession, it is of little wonder that after 2007, the suicide graph representing the young males in England is again showing an upward tilt), and even discrimination (racial, colour, or ethnicity) is known to act as triggers to suicidal thoughts (BBC News, 1997). Suicide by young males in UK and elsewhere is especially on the families and friends left behind. On BBC news a parent speaks out, “As a parent, your heart is already shattered," she said. "But then, to look into the eyes of your friends and see the pain that your child has caused, is something you carry in your heart forever" (cited in Joyce, Unravelling the suicide clusters, 2008). As another summed up on Newsletter, “It leaves families devastated because people feel guilt and are left wondering why and what happened" (Black, Vigil in memory of suicide victims, 23rd December 2010). The government of England keeping this issue of rising trend of committing suicide amongst the young male population of England (and also for all those who are likely to commit suicide in England), launched ‘The national suicide prevention strategy’ in 2002 with the aim of at least decreasing the suicide mortality numbers by 20%, by the end of 2010, and in this regards has launched a number of initiatives to tackle this social menace. How effective this strategy will be in the long run, remains to be seen and can be verified only after the government releases the suicidal figures of the young male population in England, of 2010-11 (till date the official suicidal figures of years 2008 have been updated with certain rectifications made in January 2010). Personally, I feel that that awareness amongst the general public must be raised on issues of psychological problems, alcohol and drug abuse (that is about the factors which may help on to commit suicide); and the government must provide for various alternative options when situations like economic downturn arises. Generally it has been seen that the male population shy away from going to the physicians with their various mental problems. The government should specially focus on this issue to raise awareness levels, especially amongst the young males. Conclusion The recent increase in the suicidal numbers of the young male population (figures of 2008) has showed an upward tilt, mainly owing to the socio economic factor of joblessness/homelessness, and poverty, arising out of the economic recession that the world (also England) has recently witnessed. Other social factors like divorces, also affect the young male population to a large extent, leading them to take the drastic step. Mental health factors (though not so prominently visible amongst the male population in England) and various other environmental factors have also helped in the figures to rise. The UK government has framed various initiatives through the ‘The national suicide prevention strategy’ to cope with this largely preventable public health issue, however only time will say as to whether this problem can be dealt with these initiatives, or something else needs to done to stop these young men and boys from shying away from life. Bibliography Amos, T, Appleby, L, and Kiernan, K. 2001. Changes in rates of suicide by car exhaust asphyxiation in England and Wales Psychological Medicine. 31, 935– 9. Appleby, L., 1999. Safer Services: national confidential inquiry into suicide and homicide by people with mental illness. Department of Health, London. BBC News, 1997. UK Suicide 'higher among homeless'. Retrieved from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/38337.stm BBC News. 2001. 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