To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the causes of suicides among young people; and what action they propose to reduce such fatalities by providing more effective and quicker access to mental health services.
Answered on
24 October 2014
The causes of suicides are not currently collected but the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness at the University of Manchester will be setting up a national investigation into suicides by young people under 25, which will be covering antecedents such as bullying, use of social media & contact with services. This investigation will be funded by National Health Service England and is due to begin in April 2015.
NHS England and the Department have set up a Taskforce to look into the complex system of provision and commissioning of children and young people’s mental health services. The Taskforce is considering ways to improve access and create services that are more responsive to children’s needs. Additional funding this year is being invested into improving specialised, in-patient mental health services for children and young people. This will help to fund additional bed capacity and case management will also be improved.