Suicide in men 'highest since 2001'

The proportion of men taking their own lives in the UK has reached its highest level for more than a decade, according to official figures.

The Office for National Statistics data shows 19 in every 100,000 deaths in men were down to suicide in 2013.

Overall there were 6,233 suicides in men and women over the age of 15 in 2013 - 4% higher than the previous year.

The legacy of the recession is one explanation for the rise.

Overall suicide rates had been falling consistently from 15.6 per 100,000 deaths in 1981 to 10.6 per 100,000 in 2007.

"Since 2007, the female rate stayed relatively constant while the male rate increased significantly," the ONS report states.

In 2013, 78% of suicides were in men.

The most vulnerable age group were those aged between 45 and 59, however, the rates have been increasing in all age groups except in the under thirties.

The report added that research suggested that "the recent recession in the UK could be an influencing factor in the increase in suicides" and that "areas with greater rises in unemployment had also experienced higher rises in male suicides".

Suicide in men 'highest since 2001'

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