new study, commissioned by the Scottish Government, reveals the depth of the nation's drink and drug problem and its relation to homicide and suicide.Researchers found there were 500 killings in Scotland over five years and 5000 suicides over six years. Both these figures amount to almost double the rates for England and Wales.
The report, Lessons for Mental Health Care in Scotland, looked at all suicides and homicides as well as those committed by people who had sought help from mental health services.It shows suicide rates in Scotland stood at 18.7 per 100,000 of the population, compared to 10.2 per 100,000 in England and Wales.Homicide rates north of the border were 2.12 per 100,000 people compared to 1.23 per 100,000 in England and Wales. Only 28% of the people who took their own life and 12% of killers had recently been mental health patients.This north-south divide was highest among teenagers, the report, carried out by Manchester University, found.
"Alcohol and drug misuse runs through these findings and appears to be a major contributor to risk in mental health care and broader society," said Professor Louis Appleby, director of the study."The findings suggest alcohol and drugs lie behind Scotland's high rates of suicide and homicide and the frequency with which they occur as antecedents in our report are striking."The stark revelation comes as ministers prepare to unveil radical legislation.New Action on Alcohol proposals will make it illegal for anyone under 21 to buy alcohol to take away, mirroring similar approaches in Sweden, Iceland and the US. However, 18-year-olds would continue to be served in pubs, bars and clubs.The proposals, expected to be made public tomorrow, include setting minimum prices for alcohol and banning three-for-two or buy-one-get-one-free deals.The Manchester study by the university National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness is to be published today.
"There has been a welcome recent fall in the suicide rates among the general Scottish population but, despite this, the most striking feature of rates north of the border is how much higher they are than in England and Wales," Mr Appleby said.
"Similarly, the homicide rate in Scotland is substantially higher than in England and Wales."Unlike suicide rates, national homicide rates were boosted by concentrations in certain areas of the country, namely Glasgow and Argyll and Clyde.
The report found that, in common with England and Wales, homicide was a crime committed primarily by young men against young men, the weapon usually a knife.
"The rise in homicide rates in recent years is the result of an increase in killings by young people, mainly men under 25 years, but most are not mentally ill. Therefore, a public health approach to homicide would target alcohol and drug use before mental health illness," said Mr Appleby.
Of the 1373 patient suicides in the report, there was a history of alcohol misuse in 785 cases, an average of 131 deaths per year; a history of drug misuse was seen in 522 cases, or 87 deaths per year.
Of the 58 patient homicides, 41 had a history of alcohol abuse and 45 had drug misuse. Among all perpetrators, whether patients or not, drug and alcohol dependence were the most common diagnoses. In both suicide and homicide, most were not under the care of addiction services.
Meanwhile, a separate report out today highlights that Scotland's drinkers are failing to recognise they are consuming alcohol in quantities damaging to health.
The research by NHS Health Scotland found half the drinkers, who completed drinking diaries as part of the study, drank at least twice the recommended weekly drinking limit - 21 units for men and 14 units for women - and three-quarters reported at least one episode of binge drinking the previous week.
Although problem drinking was still strongly associated with deprivation, high levels of consumption among affluent and middle-aged groups were apparent.
Susan MacAskill, senior researcher from the Institute for Social Marketing at Stirling University and Open University, said: "When people were asked to itemise their drinking over the previous week, many were very surprised by how much they had really drunk."