Every life lost to suicide is a tragedy, yet we know that suicide is often preventable and not inevitable. This report demonstrates the value of Shout in preventing suicide in the UK, particularly for children, young people and those who are not accessing alternative mental health support.
Independent analysis also determines that Shout is a value-for-money suicide prevention service, generating significant cost savings for both the UK economy and the organisations that commission the service. These savings extend far beyond the scope of this report, given the wider benefits the service generates in relation to other mental health conditions, such as anxiety, depression and self-harm.
- There are no comparable alternatives to Shout. Its accessibility as a free, digital service that is/available 24/7 is key to its ability to connect with an individual at the crucial moment when they are.in crisis and prevent someone moving from thinking about suicide to attempting or dying by suicide. Shout offers national support, at scale.
- Shout’s daily conversation numbers trebled during the course of the Covid-19 pandemic. As demand for the service continues to increase, so too does the potential for the service to prevent an even greater number of suicides in the UK.
- Mental Health Innovations forecasts demand for Shout to continue to grow at a rate of 25% year-on-year and anticipates the proportion of interventions actioned to remain consistent over time. Therefore by the end of 2025 the service could prevent 288 more suicides and save the UK economy £576m.
- Further investment from public, private and philanthropic organisations is crucial to achieving this and will enable Shout to maintain and grow the infrastructure, technology, clinicians and volunteers it needs to continue providing crucial suicide de-escalation services and life-saving interventions for any child, young person or adult in the UK who needs help.