Category: Stigma

New ONS Report Reveals Elevated Self-Harm and Suicide Rates Among LGB+ Adults

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has released a ground breaking analysis linking 2021 Census data with NHS records, revealing that adults identifying as LGB+ in England and Wales face significantly higher rates of self-harm and suicide compared to their heterosexual counterparts.

Key Findings:

  • The age-standardised rate of intentional self-harm for LGB+ individuals was 1,508.9 per 100,000 people between March 2021 and December 2023, compared to 598.4 per 100,000 for heterosexual individuals.
  • The suicide rate among LGB+ adults stood at 50.3 per 100,000 people, more than double the rate of 23.1 per 100,000 observed in heterosexual adults.
  • Bisexual individuals exhibited the highest self-harm rates within the LGB+ group, at 1,669.5 per 100,000 people.
  • The risk of self-harm was notably higher among LGB+ females, with a rate 2.8 times greater than that of heterosexual females.
  • Young adults aged 16 to 24 identifying as LGB+ had a self-harm rate 2.8 times higher than their heterosexual peers.

These findings underscore the urgent need for targeted mental health support and suicide prevention strategies within the LGB+ community.

Read the full report: ONS – Self-harm and suicide by sexual orientation, England and Wales

Mental Health Awareness Week 2025

This year’s Mental Health Awareness Week (12–18 May 2025) focuses on community—a reminder that connection, support, and belonging are essential for good mental health. Being part of a strong, supportive community helps us feel safe, valued, and less alone.

The week encourages open conversations about mental health, reduces stigma, and promotes resources to support wellbeing. It’s a great time to reflect on how we can strengthen the connections around us and be there for one another.

Learn more and get involved:
mentalhealth.org.uk
mentalhealth-uk.org

Making Every Contact Count May 2025


The most recent Make Every Contact count public heath bulletin looking at latest evidence around smoking cessation, alcohol, healthy weight, healthy eating and physical exercise is now available. The bulletin is produced by Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS FT Library staff. If you cannot access any of the articles included in the bulletin please contact academic.library@lscft.nhs.uk.

Smoking Cessation

Smoking Cessation May 2025Download

Alcohol

Alcohol May 2025Download

Healthy Weight & Healthy Eating

Healthy Weight Healthy Eating May 2025Download

Physical Activity

Alcohol May 2025Download

Strengthening Suicide Prevention: From Policy to Practice

The Suicide Prevention Consortium’s 2025 report, Suicide Prevention Principles: From Policy to Practice, outlines two fundamental principles for effective suicide prevention: ensuring ‘no wrong door’ to accessing support and providing person-centred care. The report emphasizes the need for collaborative efforts, inclusive practices, increased staff awareness, and robust workforce support to translate these principles into actionable strategies.

Read the full report: NSPA – Suicide Prevention Principles: From Policy to Practice

A Roadmap to a Smokefree Country: New Report Calls for Bold Action

The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Smoking and Health has released its 2025 report, A Roadmap to a Smokefree Country, outlining urgent steps to end smoking in the UK within a generation. Central to the plan is a proposed ‘polluter pays’ levy on tobacco companies, aiming to raise £700 million annually to fund cessation programs and reduce health inequalities. The report also recommends stricter regulations on youth vaping and a cap on tobacco industry profits. With smoking remaining a leading cause of preventable illness and death, the report urges all political parties to commit to a fully funded, long-term strategy to make smoking obsolete.

Read the full report: A Roadmap to a Smokefree Country – APPG on Smoking and Health

Stress Awareness Month 2025

April is Stress Awareness Month, a time to reflect on how stress affects our daily lives and what we can do to manage it. While stress is a natural response to challenges, prolonged stress can impact both mental and physical health.

Our library offers a wealth of information on mental well-being. This month, take a moment to check in with yourself and explore ways to build resilience. Small steps toward self-care can make a big difference.

Making Every Contact Count January 2025

The most recent Make Every Contact count public heath bulletin looking at latest evidence around smoking cessation, alcohol, healthy weight, healthy eating and physical exercise is now available. The bulletin is produced by Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS FT Library staff. If you cannot access any of the articles included in the bulletin please contact academic.library@lscft.nhs.uk.

Smoking Cessation

Smoking Cessation Jan 2025Download

Alcohol

Alcohol Jan 2025.docxDownload

Healthy Weight

Healthy Weight Jan 2025Download

Healthy Eating

Healthy Eating Jan 2025Download

Physical Activity

Physical Activity Jan 2025Download

UK Disability History Month

UK Disability History Month is a chance to reflect on the history, challenges, and achievements of disabled people. It’s a time to celebrate progress while recognizing that barriers still exist and to commit to building a more inclusive future.

This month encourages us to listen to the voices of disabled individuals, challenge stereotypes, and advocate for change. By learning from the past and engaging with the present, we can all play a part in creating a society that values and supports everyone.

Let’s take this opportunity to educate ourselves, share stories, and make a difference—because inclusion benefits us all.

Public Health

Current Awareness

Source: KnowledgeShare

The role that alcohol or drug use can play in increasing the risk of suicide.
Carried out by Frankie Marcelline from Sussex Health on 27/9/2024
https://www.knowledgeshare.nhs.uk/index.php?PageID=literature_search_request_downloader&RequestID=52844
[This evidence search report aims to support a conference on suicide. This search focusses on the role that dependent or problematic patterns of alcohol and drug use, can play in increasing the risk of suicide. Results include a good number of very recent high-level studies on the risks of alcohol and drug use on suicide.]

Teens, screens and mental health.
World Health Organization (WHO); 2024.
https://www.who.int/europe/news/item/25-09-2024-teens–screens-and-mental-health
[New data from the WHO Regional Office for Europe reveals a sharp rise in problematic social media use among adolescents, with rates increasing from 7% in 2018 to 11% in 2022. This, coupled with findings that 12% of adolescents are at risk of problematic gaming, raises urgent concerns about the impact of digital technology on the mental health and well-being of young people.]

Digital health and equitable access to care.
Shaw J. PLOS Digital Health 2024;:10.1371/journal.pdig.0000573.
[This research uses a framework by Levesque et al on patient-centered access to care and the World Health Organization’s framework on digitally enabled health systems to generate insights into the ways that digital solutions can support access to needed health care for structurally marginalized communities.]

Keeping children and young people with mental health needs safe: the design of the paediatric ward.
Health Services Safety Investigations Body; 2024.
https://www.hssib.org.uk/patient-safety-investigations/keeping-children-and-young-people-with-mental-health-needs-safe-the-design-of-the-paediatric-ward/investigation-report/
[This investigation looks at the care of children and young people with mental health issues who are admitted to a paediatric ward in an acute hospital – that is, a ward for children and young people in a hospital that typically treats physical health conditions. Specifically, it focuses on the risk factors associated with the design of paediatric wards in acute hospitals caring for children and young people with mental health needs.]