It shows the rates of suicide among Scottish men and women, and compares them with the rates for England and Wales.
Starting in 1960, the pale blue line denoting suicides among Scottish men, at a rate of 15 per 100,000 people, is below that of English men. Then in 1968, a change occurs and the line starts ominously to crawl upwards. It makes its crooked way over that of England and keeps rising. The trend continues with Scotland markedly but not drastically above England until 1992, when the two lines suddenly diverge like the yawning maw of a jagged-toothed beast.
Suicide rate is a challenge Scotland must not shirk
THERE is a graph in the latest edition of British Journal of Psychiatry that paints a picture of Scotland that is both tragic and deeply concerning.
It shows the rates of suicide among Scottish men and women, and compares them with the rates for England and Wales.
Starting in 1960, the pale blue line denoting suicides among Scottish men, at a rate of 15 per 100,000 people, is below that of English men. Then in 1968, a change occurs and the line starts ominously to crawl upwards. It makes its crooked way over that of England and keeps rising. The trend continues with Scotland markedly but not drastically above England until 1992, when the two lines suddenly diverge like the yawning maw of a jagged-toothed beast.
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Don't show me this again.