Preventing suicide and self‐harm: how useful are the data currently available to those planning and providing interventions?
| Date | 01 June 2006 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/17465729200600015 |
| Pages | 20-26 |
| Published date | 01 June 2006 |
| Author | Helen McElroy,David Chappel |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care |
Suicide and self-harm are major public health issues.This study aimed to assess how local and national
data could be used more effectively in local suicide and self-harm prevention strategies.Twelve semi-
structured interviews were carried out with a purposive sample of suicide prevention leads in one
strategic health authority area and other key local and regional informants. Although suicide prevention
work is supported by data, problems were identified with current processes and data and information
availability. Local,regional and national health agencies all have a role in ensuring information is used in
the best possible way to reduce self-harm and suicide.
Preventing suicide and self-harm:
how useful are the data currently
available to those planning and
providing interventions?
Helen McElroy
Health information
development manager
North Tyneside Primar y
Care Trust
David Chappel
Assistant director
North East Public
Health Observatory
Correspondence to:
Helen McElroy
North Tyneside Primar y
Care Trust
EquinoxHouse
Silver Fox Way
Cobalt Business Park
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE27 0QJ
Helen.McElroy
@northtyneside-pct.nhs.uk
RESEARCH
20 journal of public mental health
vol 5 • issue 2
Suicide and self-harm exact high
emotional, social and economic costs on
individuals, families and communities. In
addition, it is a major public health issue:
it is a significant cause of death
(Department of Health, 2003; Gunnel, 2000) and
impacts on the NHS in terms of self-harm
attendances to Accident & Emergency departments
(A&E) and hospital admissions (Mental Health
Foundation/Camelot Foundation, 2006). It is a key
national and local priority, with the National
Suicide Prevention Strategy being published in 2002
(Department of Health, 2002), followed by annual
progress reports (NIMHE, 2006). Even before this,
standard seven of the national service framework
(NSF) for mental health (Department of Health,
1999) set targets and assigned local responsibility for
reducing suicide deaths.
NHS health and social care organisations are
responsible for implementing the National Suicide
Prevention Strategy at a local level (Department of
Health, 2002; Department of Health, 1999), and
many are currently developing and implementing
local suicide prevention strategies. Primary care
organisations (PCOs) have been performance-
managed on their ability to carry out suicide audits
and, at a regional level, public health observatories
(PHOs) have a role to play in developing and
supporting information use for suicide prevention.
It is essential that local suicide prevention
strategies are influenced by local data on suicide and
self-harm. This will ensure that resources are
directed appropriately through, for example, the
identification of ‘at-risk’ groups and hotspots,
monitoring implementation and assessing the
effectiveness of interventions. It is unclear, however,
to what extent health professionals are using
information to inform the development of local
strategies and to support suicide prevention work
and how accessible and useful this information is.
Overall, the literature provides some evidence at
international, national and local level of problems
with routine suicide and self-harm data. However,
there is little evidence on how improvements may
be made at a local or regional level to support the
day-to-day working of health professionals in suicide
prevention.
The coroner’sverdict underpins suicide data, but
the problems with this data source are widely
recognised and include misclassification of suicide as
open verdict (Salib et al,2001; O’Donnell & Farmer,
1995), variation in this misclassification based on
©Pavilion Publishing (Brighton) Ltd
Key words
suicide
self-harm
prevention
information
data collection
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