Suicide rate among men under 45 is not "going up"

The Guardian's front page story today was based on a wide-ranging interview with the President of the Faculty of Public Health, Professor John Ashton. Among other things, he said:

"The condition of adult males is of increasing concern because suicide has been going up in working-age men, especially the under-40s. There's something in the dramatically changed position of men in society vis-a-vis women and vis-a-vis the labour market that's affecting men's self-esteem and self-confidence as a result of this dislocation, with the reduction in their traditional role as breadwinners" - Professor John Ashton quoted in The Guardian

We've previously covered the issue of male suicide and found that while the number of male suicides has gone up, the suicide rate has been on a downward trend over the past few decades.

The data - from the ONS - can also be broken down by age group.

There's some fluctuation from year to year, but over recent decades the suicide rate for men between the ages of 15-44 hasn't been going up.

We've contacted Professor Ashton to ask if he has any more information on the issue.