Mental illness in Suffolk

A Mental Health Needs Assessment for Suffolk was published in 2018, and is currently being updated.

What is the local picture?

Three Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) provided NHS services across Suffolk until 1 July 2022:

• Ipswich and East Suffolk
• Norfolk and Waveney - covering the north-east corner of Suffolk (Lowestoft and Waveney) as well as the whole of Norfolk
• West Suffolk 

From 1 July 2022, these were replaced by Integrated Care Boards (ICBs). Two cover Suffolk: Suffolk and North East Essex ICB and Norfolk and Waveney ICB. Some data is available at "sub-ICB" level using the same areas that are equivalent to the CCGs. 

Wellbeing

Research shows that many factors influence our quality of life and well-being. At a national level, how people view their health is the most important factor related to personal well-being, followed by employment status and relationship status.

The Office for National Statistics publishes survey responses to four personal well-being questions. Respondents gave scores out of 10 to questions relating to life satisfaction, feeling that the things done in life are worthwhile, happiness, and anxiety (based on the previous day). Responses to questions had been showing a trend towards more positive answers both locally and nationally until 2019/20 when scores worsened. In 2020/21, respondents in Suffolk gave answers which were in line with England (Table 1). Within Suffolk, 1 in 4 (24.5%) residents reported high anxiety and 1 in 10 (9.0%) residents reported a low happiness score.

Table 1 is the average score out of 10 given by survey respondents for life satisfaction, feeling that the things done in life are worthwhile, happiness yesterday, and anxiety yesterday, Suffolk, East of England, England, 2020/21.

Common mental ill health

Common mental ill health problems include depression and anxiety disorders such as generalised anxiety disorder, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (called OCD for short) and post-traumatic stress disorder (called PTSD for short). Other common mental health problems include phobias about a specific thing (such as spiders) or situations (such as being embarrassed in front of other people).

These mental ill health problems are called 'common' because when combined they affect more people than other mental health problems (up to 15% of people at any one time in the UK). Some people may have more than one mental health problem (such as depression and anxiety).

Prevalence estimates

The prevalence of common mental ill health problems can be estimated by looking at GP-registered prevalence (the number of people with a diagnosis). However, this is likely to underestimate the true prevalence because some people living with mental ill health will not have been diagnosed. An estimate of the true number of people with a mental ill health problem (those with a diagnosis plus those without a diagnosis) can be calculated using survey responses.

GP registered prevalence of depression

Within the three CCG areas that cover Suffolk (and including Great Yarmouth), a total of 87,374 people (aged 18 and over) had a GP-registered diagnosis of depression in 2019/20 (Figure 1). Prevalence was higher than East of England in all Suffolk CCGs. West Suffolk and Great Yarmouth and Waveney have higher prevalence than England as a whole, while Ipswich and East Suffolk prevalence is similar to England. Prevalence of depression may be higher in some Suffolk CCGs or those CCGs may be more successful at identifying, diagnosing and recording depression.

Some people with a common mental health disorder (CMD) will be referred (or self-refer) to IAPT (Improving Access to Psychological Therapies) services (Table 2), which have been renamed NHS Talking Therapies. The NHS has committed to expand the service so that 1.9 million people per year will be able to access services by the end of 2023/4.

Table 2: IAPT services: key activity in the year 2020/21 for CCGs covering Suffolk

Estimated prevalence using survey responses

Based on responses to the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey 2014, researchers have generated prevalence estimates for a range of common mental ill health conditions. These prevalence estimates have been applied to Office for National Statistics population estimates to give an estimated number of people within Suffolk, and the CCG areas covering Suffolk, who suffer from common mental ill health conditions. 

In Suffolk, it is estimated that 106,250 residents (aged 16 or over) experienced at least one common mental ill health condition in 2020 (Table 3). The most commonly occurring conditions were generalised anxiety disorder, depressive episode and phobias.

Table 3: Estimated prevalence of common mental ill health conditions among people aged 16 and over, Suffolk CCGs (2020 population estimates), 2020

Note: Estimates are for prevalence identified in the week before interview unless otherwise specified.

Severe mental illness

Severe (sometimes called serious) mental illness (SMI) covers schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder and other psychoses. People with severe mental illness experience poor outcomes in terms of physical health and mortality rates, and they have an increased likelihood of unhealthy lifestyles including alcohol or substance misuse and smoking. Generally, the lives of people with severe mental illness are 15-20 years shorter than the rest of the population.

In 2020/21, 7,235 people registered with a GP in Suffolk were on the mental health register (i.e. had a diagnosis of severe mental illness) (Figure 2). This equates to a prevalence of 0.90% among the GP-registered population, significantly lower than England as a whole (0.95).

Patients who live in more deprived areas have a higher prevalence of SMI, and patients with SMI living in more deprived areas have a higher prevalence of physical health conditions. Six of the 10 GP practices with the highest percentage of mental health QOF prevalence are also in the ten practices with the highest levels of deprivation in Suffolk (analysis by Public Health & Communities Suffolk). Socio-economic deprivation is recognised as both a cause and consequence of SMI, with sufferers experiencing an increased risk of “social withdrawal” such as unemployment.

Self-harm

The rate of people admitted to hospital (emergency hospital admissions) because of intentional self-harm in Suffolk is significantly higher than England (2021/22 data), driven by high rates in Ipswich (210.1 per 100,000), and East Suffolk (196.4 per 100,000).

When broken down by age, the rate of emergency hospital admissions for 10-24-year-olds and for 15-19-year-olds in Suffolk are significantly higher than England as a whole (2021/22):

• 10-24-year-olds Suffolk rate 497.3 (n = 605) compared to 427.3 for England
• 10-14-year-olds Suffolk rate 312.6 (n = 135) compared to 307.1 for England (statistically similar)
• 15-19-year-olds Suffolk rate 816.5 (n = 325) compared to 641.7 for England

Suicide

Among people of all ages in Suffolk, the number of deaths by suicide has increased from 174 deaths in 2015-17 to 208 in 2019-21. Rates of death by suicide (10.4 per 100,000) are similar to England (10.4) and to the East of England (9.8). The rate is higher for males (15.1) than females (6.0).

Other sections on this topic

• Mental ill health in Suffolk
• COVID-19 - impact on mental health
• Further information on mental ill health