Scots are almost twice as likely to kill or take their own life compared with people living in England and Wales as a result of alcohol and drug misuse, according to a report published today.

The findings, by a team at the University of Manchester, also show that the number of mental health patients committing homicide or suicide was proportionately much higher in Scotland. The report, commissioned by the Scottish government, blames higher death rates north of the Border on alcohol and drug consumption, both in the general population and among mental health patients.

The researchers examined all suicides and homicides in the general population in Scotland, as well as those committed by people who had sought help from mental health services, and compared them to its findings for England and Wales.

Suicide rates in Scotland equated to 18.7 per 100,000 of the population, compared to 10.2 per 100,000 in England and Wales, while homicide rates north of the Border were 2.12 per 100,000 people compared to 1.23 per 100,000 in England and Wales. The north-south divide was highest among teenagers, the report found.

“Alcohol and drug misuse runs through these findings and it appears to be a major contributor to risk in mental health care and broader society,” Louis Appleby, Professor of Psychiatry, said. “The findings suggest that 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.”

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