Teachers 'can play pivotal role in suicide prevention'
Teachers can play a pivotal role in suicide prevention in schools, it was claimed today.
Dan Neville, Irish Association of Suicidology president, said it was time the Government gave educators the necessary support and training to stem the alarming number of deaths.
Mr Neville called for a visible strategy and support system for schools to respond to the challenge of youngpeople at risk of suicide, and to deal with its aftermath.
“The Government must ensure that schools are resourced by adequate numbers of counsellors and psychologists to deal with the growing level of risk of suicide and attempted suicide among young people,” Mr Neville said.
“Schools in Ireland must be assisted to develop in-house expertise for responding to the needs of children and young people at risk of self harm.”
Figures from the Central Statistics Office showed there was more than one suicide every day last year. A total 444 people died by suicide, 358 males and 86 females.
There were 451 suicides in 2002 – a quarter of all deaths in the 15-24 age group – making it the second largest cause of death.
The Fine Gael TD said suicide among school children had to be addressed in the context of a broad, generic programme of social, personal and health education.
Mr Neville told delegates at the association’s national conference in Galway a debate in the media on suicide was necessary to ensure greater awareness of the need to deal with this issue.
He also said prevention in schools and colleges required locally accessible and responsive mental health services which are presently not available in Ireland.
The conference aims to highlight the role of crisis intervention in schools, to examine development factors in suicidal tendencies in children and adolescents.
Delegates will also look at how children’s attitudes to suicide are influenced and moulded by the media, especially by television.
