One suicide every day as recession sparks 43pc rise
MORE than one person a day killed themselves in the first three months of 2009.
Despite a decline in suicides in recent years, official figures released today revealed 106 people took their life between January and March -- a 43pc rise.
The Government has been 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 many desperate callers are distressed over the economic downturn.
"There are a lot of people in great distress out there, they are finding it difficult to cope, they feel hopeless," said Mr Kelly.
However he added: "No expert could give you a definite reason as to why levels of suicide are quite high in Ireland. Suicide is complex."
The CSO figures 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 the age of 24, 28 were under 35 years, 41 were aged between 35 and 54 years, and 26 were older than 55.
But Mr Kelly said experts believe the actual figure is much higher than officially reported with scores of deaths recorded as undetermined in the coroners courts.
Fine Gael's mental health spokesman Dan Neville said: "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."
hnews@herald.ie
- Sarah Stack
