Homicide by mentally ill falls, but patient suicide rises in England

04 Jul 2013 The number of people killed by mental health patients has fallen to its lowest level in a decade - figures released today show. Experts suggest the fall in homicide reflects safer patient care and point to the possible effect of better treatment of drug and alcohol problems as well as new legal powers in the community. But suicides among mental health patients increased with the current economic difficulties a likely factor. The findings, reported in the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness (NCI) produced by The University of Manchester, suggest more needs to be done to help mental health patients with debts, housing and employment. The research team says safety efforts need to focus on patients receiving home treatment where there has been a rise in suicide deaths in recent years. Combined with a fall in the number of inpatient suicides, there are now twice as many suicides under home treatment as in inpatient care. The report, commissioned by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership on behalf of the NHS England, DHSSPS Northern Ireland, the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government and the Channel Islands, examined homicide and suicide figures for all four countries of the United Kingdom among mental health patients from 2001-2011 (figures for 2011 are provisional).