This week is Mental Health Awareness Week and we are reflecting on the current information about the mental health crisis in Northern Ireland. In Northern Ireland, the scale of the crisis is unlike anywhere else in the UK.
Northern Ireland has the highest suicide rate in the UK. These aren’t just statistics; they are our neighbours, our friends, our families.
This Mental Health Awareness Week, we’re sharing the facts and asking for your help.
- The Suicide Rate in Northern Ireland was 17.4 per 100,000 people in 2024 compared to 15.7 in Wales, 12.7 in Scotland and 11.1 in England.
- 18% of adults in Northern Ireland show signs of probably ill mental health, rising to 24% in deprived areas.
- Northern Ireland spends less than £220 per person on mental health.
- 52% of children wait more than 9 weeks for their first CAHMS appointment.
- Only 1% of funding needed to realise the Mental Health Strategy has been allocated.
- Suicide is the main cause of death in males under 45 in Northern Ireland.
Embedded in personal, lived experience of bereavement by suicide the Zachary Geddis Trust strives to promote Zachary’s story and positively impact the lives of others across Northern Ireland.
Source: Mental Health Champion NI, Mental Health in Northern Ireland: Current Services and Strategic Priorities (2026) and NISRA
