12,000 treated after suicide bids each year

UP to 12,000 Irish people receive hospital treatment after attempting suicide each year, a Government-funded report shows.

The National Suicide Research Foundation (NSRF) has completed a report into attempted suicides, to be launched in September. It shows that in five sample health board areas, 5,000 people visited A&E departments after trying to commit suicide.

NSRF deputy director Paul Corcoran said these five health boards cover just 50% of the population, and don’t include deprived urban areas, where the suicide rate is up to four times as high as rural areas. Mr Corcoran said the NSRF report will put the real national figure at up to 12,000.