"Dying from Inequality"

The poorest Scots are three times more likely to commit suicide than the richest, according to a new report by Samaritans.

The charity is calling for more to be done to tackle inequality which it says is an important factor when it comes to people taking their own lives.

The Samaritans said poor housing, debt, and bleak employment prospects were all factors in the suicide rate being three times higher among the most deprived 10th of the population compared with the least deprived 10th (22.1 deaths per 100,000 population compared with 7.3).

The report, "Dying from Inequality", highlights clear areas of risk to communities and individuals, including the closure and downsizing of businesses, those in manual, low-skilled employment, those facing unmanageable debt and those with poor housing conditions.

Samaritans' chief executive Ruth Sutherland said: "Suicide is an inequality issue which we have known about for some time. This report says that's not right, it's not fair and it's got to change.

Inverclyde has the highest suicide rate of any local authority in Scotland