Quick-fix solutions not the answer

ANY quick-fix, reactionary strategies geared towards the prevention of suicide may worsen the situation, a leading psychiatrist has warned.

“A solution must be found, but it is critical that people do not run around like headless chickens now,” said Professor Patricia Casey, consultant psychiatrist at the Mater hospital. “We don’t have adequate psychiatric resources, everyone now knows that. But we need to take a long, hard look at the services and set up a working group to look at what is being done internationally.”

Prof Casey said an international panel of experts could identify what measures work best to address suicide and those which add little to the effort. “We might find that there’s nothing definite that can be done or we might find there is a deficiency in this country,” she said. “I would suggest that we hasten slowly so as to get it right rather than spending a lot of money on initiatives which might not work, or might, potentially worsen the situation.”