A COUNCILLOR who said he was aware of four suspected deaths by suicide is urging people who are in distress or suffering with depression to seek help.
Cllr Bryan Davies said he would like more prominent messaging and advice about mental health.
“We cannot be holding back,” he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
Cllr Davies said he has attended the funerals of two people in Carmarthenshire that he said were suspected of death by suicide. He said he’d been made aware more recently of two further suspected deaths by suicide.
The charity Samaritans said suicide was complex, rarely caused by one thing, and that it could be prevented.
Cllr Davies said in the past there used to be a “pull yourself together” attitude towards mental health which dissuaded people from seeking help.
“I am concerned that even these days that people are not prepared to share their worries,” he said. “My concern is that people feel they’re letting friends and members of their family down.”
The Plaid Cymru councillor had raised the issue at a council committee meeting on June 9 and asked what the suicide rate statistics showed and what the authority could offer vulnerable people suffering with depression.
“Are they aware that there is support available, and how do they ask for that support, or is it all in the hands of their GP?” he asked at the health and social services scrutiny meeting.
The council has employed a suicide prevention officer until March 2027 having secured grant funding for the role. A draft annual social services report before the committee said the officer would identify barriers to those seeking help and help colleagues on a suicide prevention group draw up and publish a prevention strategy and action plan.
The council has also established a rapid response capability in 2023 to offer immediate support to people affected by suspected death by suicide.
There were 30 deaths by suicide registered in Carmarthenshire in 2023 compared to 14 in 2022, although not all the deaths would have taken place in the two calendar years. The figures for 2024 are due to be published later this summer.
Statistics by Samaritans show there were 6,069 suicides in England and Wales in 2023 – the highest rate since 1999 and a 7.5% rise on the figure of 5,642 in 2022. Three-quarters of deaths were male.
Public Health Wales said rates of suspected death by suicide within Wales’ health board areas were not statistically significantly different to the all-Wales rate, according to the latest data, but that rates within Hywel Dda University Health Board in south-west Wales were statistically significantly higher than in Swansea Bay and Cardiff and Vale to the east. Rates in Betsi Cadwaladr, north Wales, were also statistically significantly higher than Swansea Bay’s.
Kate Burton, Carmarthenshire’s head of adult social care, said a large amount of work about suicide and prevention went on at a national level, and that people in distress could get support 24/7 by phoning 111 and pressing option two.
Jan Coles, head of children and families, said she was really sorry to hear about the suspected deaths by suicide referred to by Cllr Davies. She said work needed to be done with community organisations such as rugby clubs and barber shops to raise awareness of the issue and direct those in need to support services.
The draft social services report said one in four adults would experience mental health problems or illness at some point in their lives, equating to approximately 45,000 people in Carmarthenshire. Demand for mental health support has been steadily increasing, it said, with people aged 16-24 experiencing the largest deterioration in mental health.
The Welsh Government published a 10-year strategy in April seeking to reduce the numbers and rates of suicide deaths in Wales. It also aims to improve support for those bereaved by suicide and help people who self-harmed.
Further information:
Mind Cymru infoline is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 6pm. To contact them call 0300 123 3393.
Samaritans offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on 116 123 (in the UK and Republic of Ireland this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill).
C.A.L.L (Community Advice & Listening Line) offers emotional support and information/literature on mental health and related matters to the people of Wales and can be contacted on 0800 132 737 or through the website.
The NHS offers help and advice through its 111 service, option 2.
