704 people; no joy, but there is with hope

Our national delivery lead Haylis Smith reflects on the release of suicide data for 2024, which showed 704 people lost their life to suicide.

Every year National Records Scotland publish the statistics which set out how many people in Scotland died by probable suicide.

Changes in these numbers is one way of attempting to measure the impact of the work that happens across Scotland to try and prevent suicide.

In 1987, my Uncle Joe was one of the 708 people who died by suicide.

He was not just a number to his family, friends and colleagues, he was a much loved son, brother, uncle and friend, who is missed every day and whose death undoubtedly drove me into working in suicide prevention now.

Preventing deaths, like Joe’s matters.

I know that behind the number of probable suicides reported for 2024, there are 704 people who lost their lives and 704 families, friend groups, workplaces and communities who have been left devastated by those losses.

When I first saw the number for 2024, my thoughts were of those families, friends and communities and I sat and cried for their loss.

It is no consolation to them that this number is 11% lower than it was in 2023. For them, the number 1 is one too many, because it was their 1, like Joe was ours.

I have worked in suicide prevention now for over twenty years.

I have had the pleasure of working and training alongside some of the most dedicated and committed people I’ve ever met.

For all of us working in this area, the number 1 is also one too many.

We are always striving to do more, to help more, to prevent more. We are never complacent when the numbers go down, we know that for as long as people are dying by suicide, we must continue to try to find ways to prevent it.

We know that the numbers of people who die by suicide can vary a lot year on year and so we know we cannot rely on a reduction in a single year to be indicative of a downward trend.

For these reasons, the publication of NRS data which shows a decrease as we have seen this year, is never met by those working in suicide prevention with any joy.

But it is met with hope.

Hope that what we are doing through our national work combined with the enormous efforts across local areas and local communities, delivered by passionate, driven individuals across public and charitable organisations, might be beginning to make a difference.

Hope that the number of people, who feel like suicide is their only option, find the help and support they need.

Hope that the number of people who die by suicide continues to fall. 

To all the people working in suicide prevention, I want to say thank you for all you do to help prevent suicide.

To all the people who have lost someone to suicide, I know that saying I am sorry for your loss will not lessen your pain, but please know we will continue our work to reduce deaths by suicide and achieve our hopes.

Through our collaborative efforts, we will continue, to raise awareness about suicide, to build people’s understanding about what they can do to help someone thinking about suicide.

We'll continue to work with people with lived and living experience to build our understanding of what people’s needs are when they are affected by suicide.

And we'll then do something to make that happen and to ensure that when people do reach out for help, that they receive time, space and compassion and feel a sense of hope.

If you are having thoughts of suicide, please reach out for help, speak to someone you trust or call one of these helplines:

• Samaritans 116 123 or use the online chat at samaritans.org

• Breathing Space 0800 83 85 87

• NHS 24 mental health hub on 111

If you are ever in immediate danger or have the means to cause yourself harm, you should dial 999 and request an ambulance.