An alternative Super League table has ranked male suicide rates - and it shows that there is still much awareness to raise of mental wellbeing in our local area.
This weekend is Super League’s annual State of Mind round, the only round of fixtures dedicated to mental fitness awareness in UK sport.
The England average suicide rate is 15.3 per 100,000 population. In St Helens, it is 27.1 while in Widnes it is 10.7
The rate of suicide in the Catalans area (23.1) is higher than the France average (16.9).
Dr Phil Cooper, co-founder and trustee of State of Mind, said: “The reason State of Mind was formed was to try and prevent one more person taking their own life. There is always work to do as you can see from the Super League club table of rates of recorded suicides in Super League club areas.
“The State of Mind – Offload round of fixtures are one way to get the message across that it’s ok to offload safely and it can have great results in your personal life. There are plenty of opportunities to get help and support that people can access.”
It is estimated that the average cost per completed suicide for those of working age only in England is £1.67m.
Each suicide is estimated to impact a substantial number of people and men are three times more likely to take their own lives.
Since its formation in 2010, State of Mind, along with the RFL and North West Boroughs Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust know of 31 men who have told us that the presence of State of Mind has changed their mind about taking their own life.
This equates to a potential saving of £51.7m.
Rugby League Male Suicide Rates 2014-2016
| Position | Club | England Average | Suicides per 100,000 Population |
| 1 | St. Helens | 15.3 | 27.1 |
| 2 | Catalan Dragons | 16.9 (France Average) | 23.1 |
| 3 | Hull FC | 15.3 | 20.5 |
| 4 | Hull KR | 15.3 | 20.5 |
| 5 | Castleford | 15.3 | 18.5 |
| 6 | Wakefield | 15.3 | 18.5 |
| 7 | Leeds | 15.3 | 18.3 |
| 8 | Wigan | 15.3 | 18.1 |
| 9 | Salford | 15.3 | 17.2 |
| 10 | Huddersfield | 15.3 | 15.2 |
| 11 | Warrington | 15.3 | 14.2 |
| 12 | Widnes | 15.3 | 10.7 |
The information contained above comes from the Office of National Statistics (December, 2017)
Note: Wakefield and Castleford come under the same local area as do Hull FC and Hull KR.
For information and support on your mental health, visit www.stateofmindsport.org
