Three-in-four people know a victim of suicide

EIGHT out of ten people blame politicians and the Government for not doing enough to tackle the problem of suicide, a new survey shows.

The study found three-quarters (74%) of people have known someone who took their own life and an even bigger majority are concerned that too little is being done to address the tragedy.

Researchers commissioned by the Irish Association of Suicidology to examine public attitudes to suicide also found most people (79%) agreed with the decriminalisation of the act which was previously a criminal offence.

However, the results reveal uncertainty about the causes of, and best responses to, suicide. Almost 70% of people questioned saw alcohol as a major contributor to suicide while 38% did not believe there was a link with mental illness.

While 57% believed it was possible to change the mind of someone who had decided to take their own life, only 25% said they would feel no shame if a family member died by suicide.

Dan Neville, president of the Irish Association of Suicidology and a Fine Gael TD, said the findings showed Irish people in general were sympathetic and non-judgemental towards the issue of suicide, but were also anxious that more be done to tackle the problem.

“The vast majority of people do not think enough is being done to prevent suicide in Ireland. Suicide has clearly touched the lives of many people in Ireland in some way, therefore many of the attitudes expressed come from some level of direct experience,” he said.

Last year 431 people died by suicide, a small drop on the previous year when 457 died but deaths by suicide still outnumber road deaths and over 11,000 people are treated at A&E each year having self-harmed.

The Government came under fire last week for rejecting the recommendation of a cross-party committee that advised suicide reduction targets should be set as part of a national suicide prevention strategy.

The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children urged a 20% reduction target in the number of suicides by 2016 but minister for mental health, Tim O’Malley, would not adopt the plan.

Responding to the survey yesterday, Mr O’Malley said he recognised the devastating effects of suicidal behaviour and the emotional, social and practical repercussions of suicide that were felt by family, friends, neighbours and colleagues.

“I recognise the many challenges that lie ahead and I am aware that there are no easy interventions that will bring a guarantee of success,” he said. “We all have our part to play in helping those who may experience and face adverse events in life, and emotions and feelings so strong that they consider taking their own lives. We must aim to provide accessible, sensitive, appropriate and, where required, intensive support.”

The survey was carried out by Millward Brown IMS and interviews were conducted north and south of the border. Separate findings for the north show similar trends to the south. But fewer people (59%) knew someone who had died by suicide and fewer (64%) agreed with the decriminalisation of the act.