Has the suicide rate increased 200% during the COVID-19 lockdown period?

Posted on by FactCheckNI

[This article is part of the COVID-19 Information Dissemination (COVID-19 ID) Project — a partnership between Community Development and Health Network (CDHN) and FactCheckNI. Its aim is to improve people’s health literacy about COVID-19 by providing accurate and up-to-date information that will increase knowledge, understanding and confidence and enable people to make good health decisions.]

CLAIM: Suicides have increased 200% in the COVID-19 lockdown period.

CONCLUSION: UNSUBSTANTIATED. There are no official statistics or evidence to support the claim that the rates of suicide increased 200% during the period of lockdown (i.e. from 23 March to present). Continue reading Has the suicide rate increased 200% during the COVID-19 lockdown period?

Do more men die by suicide in Northern Ireland?

Posted on by FactCheckNI

CLAIM: More men die by suicide in Northern Ireland than anywhere else in the United Kingdom.

CONCLUSION: ACCURATE. For 2017, Northern Ireland had the highest rate in the UK (and Ireland) of registered deaths by suicide for men (29.1 per 100,000 men) (and women (8.5 per 100,000 women)). Also, the number of total suicides by year of actual occurrence in Northern Ireland for 2013 (306) is more than double that for 1995 (148). Continue reading Do more men die by suicide in Northern Ireland?

Have 1 in 4 LGBT persons attempted suicide?

Posted on by FactCheckNI

CLAIM: Within the LGBT community, 25% have attempted suicide.

CONCLUSION: ACCURATE. The claim is true in line with other surveys with LGBT respondents in the UK and Ireland. The Rainbow Project survey figure of 4% of LGBT people attempting suicide in the prior year is also consistent with surveys by other organisations. Continue reading Have 1 in 4 LGBT persons attempted suicide?