Two Cumbrian districts have the highest suicide rates in England and Wales, the Office of National Statistics (ONS) has revealed.

Data released last week has been called ‘desperately sad’ by the suicide prevention charity, Every Life Matters Cumbria as it was revealed Cumbria has a suicide rate 55 per cent higher than the average in England and Wales.

In Cumbria, there are, on average, 16.3 deaths by suicide per 100,000 of the population, compared to 10.5 deaths per 100,000 in the rest of England and Wales between 2020 and 2022.

Copeland and Carlisle have the first and second highest suicide rates, respectively, by district in England and Wales. Copeland had 20.6 deaths per 100,000 whereas Carlisle had 18.6.

Barrow in Furness has one of the highest hospital admissions for self-harm and the fifth-highest suicide rate in England and Wales.

Emergency hospital admissions for intentional self-harm between 2021 and 2022 were 163.9, on average, in Cumbria, but in Barrow they were 355.8 per 100,000.

And lastly, Cumbria had double the England average of people dying by suicide who were in contact with mental health services. 27 per cent of people dying by suicide in England, who were in contact with mental health services. In South Cumbria, it was 62 per cent and 52 per cent in North Cumbria.

In a social media post, Every Life Matters Cumbria has said: “Desperately sad for Cumbria. We are lost for words.”