New report on tackling suicide inequalities in Gypsy and Traveller communities

Friends, Families and Travellers (FFT), members of the VSCE Health & Wellbeing Alliance, have released a new report on tackling suicide inequalities in Gypsy and Traveller communities, produced in collaboration with the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID).

The report aims to provide guidance for public health and healthcare professionals on how to ensure Gypsy and Traveller communities are included within suicide prevention planning and support.

The interactive report covers a range of areas relating to suicide prevention, such as social risk factors for poor mental health and high suicide incidence, as well as examples of Good Practice.

Gypsy and Traveller communities are known to face some of the most severe health inequalities and poorest life outcomes amongst the United Kingdom population. Currently, Romany and Traveller people are:

• Nearly three times more likely to be anxious than others;
• Over twice as likely to experience depression; and
• Estimated to have life expectancies between 10-25 years shorter than the general population

Evidence also suggests that Irish Traveller people are 6-7 times more likely to die by suicide than the general population. Gypsy and Traveller civil society groups often report a similarly stark picture across England. Despite the significance of this issue, FFT research has previously found that only 5 out of 79 local suicide prevention plans in England mention Gypsy and Traveller communities.

You can download the full report here.