'Concern' as suicide among women is on the rise in Rotherham

Rotherham Council’s health select committee was told that suicide among women was on the rise “which is of concern”.

Between 2017 and 2019, Rotherham saw 14.60 suicides per 100,000 but it went down to 13.15 and 13.22 between 2018 and 2020 and 2019 and 2021, respectively.

With respect to women, while in the 2016-2018 period 6.38 women in 100,000 died by suicide, in 2019-2021 this number was at 8.52.

Ruth Fletcher-Brown, a public health specialist at Rotherham Council, told councillors that they always monitor suicide over a three-year period and it is per 100,000.

The suicide rate had started to go above the national average around 2012 and 2013 – and now, in the last couple of years, it had flattened off, Ms Fletcher-Brown said.

“But we’re, statistically for all person suicide, worse than the national average”, she said.

However, the rate for men had started to go down while the rate for women started to increase – which is of concern, she added.

“It’s not unique (in Rotherham)”, Ms Fletcher-Brown said.

The committee heard it used to be “three-quarters of men and one-quarter of women, which reflected the national pattern” but that is no more.

The committee was also told that Barnsley and Doncaster – as well as a number of towns in the region, including Wakefield – have now more suicides than Rotherham does.