Suicide is the act of ending your life intentionally. The suicide rate in the UK has been falling since 1991, and in 2007 the rate was the lowest on record. However, there are still more than 5,000 suicides in the UK each year.

‘Self-harm’ is the deliberate act of harming yourself, either by overdosing on tablets or self-cutting. Sometimes, the intention of such acts is to die and sometimes there are other motives, such as to escape from painful feelings or to release tension. Go to the A-Z topic on 'self-injury' for more information.

Self-harm is much more common than suicide and there are at least 140,000 hospital cases each year in England and Wales.

Risk factors for suicide

There are many factors that can make a person more likely to end their life by suicide; for example, having a mental illness such as depression, or misusing drugs and alcohol.

The death rate from suicide is particularly high in men under the age of 35. See the 'causes' section for more information on who is at risk.

Getting help

If you have had thoughts of suicide recently, or if you are feeling suicidal now, you should contact someone immediately for help:

• See your GP or the out-of-hours GP service. If you have already taken an overdose or cut yourself badly, dial 999.
• There are telephone helplines with specially trained volunteers who will listen to you, understand what you are going through, and help you through the immediate crisis.
• Or you could contact a friend, family member or someone you trust.

The Samaritans operate a service that is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, for people who want to talk in confidence to someone about their distress, include self-destructive thoughts.