New figures have shown that in South Lanarkshire, the number of suicides have risen from 40 in 2018 to 55 in 2019.
More broadly throughout the country, the number of suicides recorded in Scotland increased last year, marking the highest annual total in almost a decade.
Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland said:
“These suicide statistics for South Lanarkshire and for Scotland more broadly are simply shocking.
“Every one of these deaths is a tragedy and shows that many people still aren’t able to get the right mental health support when they need it most.
“The SNP aren’t giving mental health services across Scotland enough resources to help those in need and this big increase in suicides is the devastating consequence.
“We know that lockdown and the wider impact of the pandemic is putting everyone’s mental health under more pressure, so SNP ministers must redouble their efforts and guarantee mental health services get the resources they need.”
