Professor John Robertson OBA
The Daily Record is getting right into making money from youth suicides but, of course, not telling you the whole story.
They don’t even define ‘youth’ so I have the stats for the 15-24 and 5-24 groups and both are falling.
For the 15-24 group, overall suicides are down 12% from 2023 and the average age at suicide – 47.5 years suggests a shift toward older adults with youth data likely stable/low).
We won’t get an age breakdown until 2026, so I have to doubt the Record’s story.
For the 5-14 group, overall suicides are down 11% from 2023, lowest since 2017 and the average age is shifting up to suggest an historically low and stable trend.
What is likely to be keeping youth suicide levels low and stable?
Explanations for the Recent Probable Fall in Youth Suicide in Scotland
The 11% overall decline in probable suicides in Scotland in 2024 (from 792 in 2023 to 704 total deaths) aligns with the estimated continued stability or slight fall in youth rates for ages 5–24 (~70–80 cases, down from 83 in 2023, rate ~6.3–7.2 per 100,000). While youth-specific breakdowns for 2024 are pending from National Records of Scotland (NRS) and Public Health Scotland (PHS), the broader drop is attributed to sustained multi-faceted prevention efforts, particularly those targeting youth vulnerabilities like mental health access and socioeconomic inequalities. Official sources emphasize that single-year changes should be viewed cautiously, but the trend builds on post-2020 stability. Below are the key explanatory factors, drawn from government reports, expert analyses, and strategy evaluations.
1. Enhanced Suicide Prevention Funding and Strategy Implementation
- Scotland doubled its suicide prevention budget to £2.8 million in 2024–2025, supporting the “Creating Hope Together” 10-year strategy (2022–2032) and its Year 2 Delivery Plan (2024–2026). This includes £2.6 million specifically for 2024–2025 actions focused on equitable support, peer networks, and youth settings.
- Youth-specific elements: Investments in school-based mental health programs, youth work, and care settings aim to address suicidal behaviors early. The strategy’s Youth Advisory Group (refreshed in 2024 with new members) shapes interventions, ensuring lived experiences inform design—e.g., anti-stigma campaigns via social media and sports.
- Impact: Minister for Mental Wellbeing Tom Arthur noted this funding has driven the lowest totals since 2017, with 21 of 32 council areas seeing decreases, including youth-heavy regions. Progress reports highlight foundational gains in collaboration across sectors, reducing isolation for young people.
2. Improved Access to Support and Healthcare Pathways
- Emphasis on “Time, Space, Compassion” approach in primary care, unscheduled care (e.g., A&E), and community settings has increased proactive suicide risk identification. For youth, 74% of prior cases had no recent healthcare contact, but 2023–2024 initiatives (e.g., via ScotSID cohort analysis) target this gap, with A&E as a common entry point.
- Peer support expansion: New groups across Scotland, including youth-focused ones, provide recovery-oriented help. The strategy connects to broader policies tackling social determinants like poverty and homelessness, which disproportionately affect youth in deprived areas (rates 3x higher).
- Impact: PHS data shows equitable access gains, contributing to the 2024 drop, especially as the average suicide age rose to 47.5 years—indicating prevention is more effective for younger groups.
Sources at: https://x.com/i/grok?conversation=1994698566674137409
How do the Scottish Government’s efforts to reduce youth suicide compare with those in England
Scotland’s efforts stand out for youth empowerment and holistic inequality focus, fostering a “delivery collective” that integrates YAG insights into every layer—potentially more sustainable for long-term cultural change. England’s approach excels in breadth and speed, with robust funding for infrastructure (e.g., school teams, surveillance) enabling national scalability, though youth co-production feels less embedded. Both align with “everyone’s business” philosophy, but Scotland’s per-capita investment and co-design may better address youth isolation (74% no-contact).
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
Frankly , I am surprised that the suicide rate among all age groups in Scotland is so low given the constant and unremitting negative headlines from poison-pen propaganda sheets like The Record , The Mail , The Express …all are daily attacking Scotland , pouring poison into our ears about how sh*t we are , disparaging our NHS , undermining our confidence …and the broadcast media are little better !
Imagine if we had a Media which actually stood up for Scotland and its people and its Government !
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Broadcasting is a reserved power to the English government, and ‘Scottish’ media is almost all based outwith Scotland. There’s no BBC England, or English daily mail, they use Scotland and Scottish to fool the people into believing they are ‘Scottish’, it’s very canny indeed and all by design of course.
Imagine being banned, (sanctioned) from having your own broadcasting channels that are not controlled by another country, weird eh.
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SNP have done an amazing job in so many areas of social care and for the welfare of the people of Scotland. Let’s remember that under England’s full-on rule, Scotland’s drug addiction, suicide rates and crime rate etc was off the charts, high enough to have been labelled as such even abroad. How conveninet for the BritEng elite etc, in keeping Scotland down and out.
So the SNP have worked wonders in a few short years after centuries of misrule at the hands of England, in making progress on policy that is in the interests of the Scottish people. Let’s make sure that good work is not reversed by the EngGov!
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There are 700 probable suicides in Scotland. Down from 800. Suicide is usually committed while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Unintentional. Accidental. Illness or addiction. A very low amount.
50,000 deaths in Scotland a year. On average. All older (79) after a longer, happy life.
Suicide (unintentional death) is usually committed by younger males because they have the means. Females more likely to unintentionally overdose. They are main carers.
More media mass hysteria. Cheap headlines trying to make monies. On invented statistics. Worrying.
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Scottish Gov funding proper rehab facilities. £250million over five years. Increasing proper rehab facilities and reducing drug addiction, unintentional deaths (under the influence). Or probable suicide deaths. Almost non existent.
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