Suicide rate up 43%
More than one person a day died by suicide in the first three months of the year, it emerged today.
Despite a decline in suicides in recent years, official figures revealed 106 people took their life between January and March – a 43% rise.
The Government was called on to put extra money and resources into suicide prevention as unemployment, debt, marital difficulties and the threat of losing a home takes its toll.
The Central Statistics Office said more than four in five deaths were male.
Console, which supports those bereaved through suicide, has a 24-hour freephone helpline for people with suicidal thoughts on 1800 247 100.
Founder Paul Kelly said desperate callers are distressed over the economic downturn.
“There is a lot of people in great distress out there, they are finding it difficult to cope, they feel hopeless,” said Mr Kelly.
“We have seen, through working with families, that levels were increasing.
“But you really can’t say it’s down to the economic downturn. Levels were still quite high during the Celtic Tiger years.
“No expert could give you a definite reason as to why levels of suicide are quite high in Ireland.
“Suicide is complex.”
The CSO showed there were 424 suicides registered in 2008 – down from 460 the previous year.
It also revealed 74 suicides registered in the first three months of last year and 88 in the same period in 2006.
Of this year’s victims 24 were under 24 years, another 28 under 35 years, 41 were between 35 and 54 years, 26 were over 55.
But Mr Kelly said experts believe the actual figure is much higher than officially reported with scores of undetermined deaths recorded in the coroners courts.
Fine Gael’s Dan Neville said the figure was alarming and stressed if the rise continued over the rest of the year could the annual number rise to almost 600.
“This must be met with an emergency response from the Government which has been ignoring its duty to respond to the mental health crisis brought about by times of recession,” said Mr Neville, the party’s mental health spokesman.
“Research going back to the 1890s demonstrates suicide and mental illness increase at times of recession.
“The potential psychological impact of economic recession on public health is severe.
“Job loss, job insecurity, job uncertainty, economic strain, loss of income, home repossession and restricted access to credit lead to a reduction in mental well-being, an increase in mental health problems and mental ill-health, increased substance misuse, especially alcohol and drugs, and intimate relationship breakdown and divorce.”
