Suicide numbers underestimated, warns campaigner
Official figures severely underestimate the number of suicides in Ireland, a leading mental health campaigner warned today.
Provisional data puts the death toll at 460 last year, but on World Suicide Prevention Day, Fine Gael TD Dan Neville said the true number is nearer 600.
Mr Neville, president of the Irish Association of Suicidology, called on the Government to introduce programmes to tackle the issue head on.
"It is tragic to see the suicide death toll rising again," he said. "The true figure is nearer 600.
"The Government must take the lead from other countries in putting in place suicide prevention programmes."
Mr Neville said evidence showed many people have been affected by suicide.
"Surveys show that 15% of people have a family member who died by suicide," he said.
"Three out of four people know somebody who died by suicide and the person was most likely to be a friend or a neighbour.
"One in five of those who knew someone who took their own life said that it was a family member.
"It is clear that much experience of the issue is therefore 'direct' to some extent and that the impact of suicide on people is much higher than was believed."
Depression and loneliness were given as main reasons for committing suicide in a survey, along with pressures of life, drug and alcohol use, money worries and relationship problems.
Just 6% of participants gave mental illness as a reason.
