Charity highlights role of teachers in suicide prevention
The seminar was held in response to a growing need in schools, as highlighted by teachers themselves.
Founder of Console Paul Kelly said support was needed not only at a time of crisis for students, but in the aftermath of a suicide to address bereavement in an appropriate and timely manner.
“In 2009, 10 students in north Kildare area took their own lives. Incidents like this traumatise not only the students, but teachers and the wider community.”
Speaking at the seminar, entitled Supporting Our Students, which hundreds of principal and teachers attended, consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist Professor Fiona McNicholas said, unfortunately, deliberate self-harm (DSH) is a common phenomenon in young people.
Professor McNicholas said DSH should be taken very seriously as it is one of the highest predictors for people who do go on to take their own lives.
“As well as this, when you look at an adult or young person who has died by suicide, the vast majority have had a depressive episode or other mental health difficulties.
“So we need to look at adolescents and see how can you try and reduce this rate and the biggest thing is to educate people and get them to recognise the signs in young people.”
According to Prof McNicholas, depression in young people — and across all ages — is increasing worldwide.
“For young people triggers are things like exam stress, the pressure to succeed, a more fragmented family life. Signs to look for would be a change over a period of weeks in the teenager’s behaviour.
“They would be really unhappy, would not be enjoying things they usually do and would not be able to concentrate on school work.
“They would have negative thoughts about everything and about the future and the culmination of this leads on to suicidal ideas. It could accumulate over time and young people can see no way out and so engage in self-harm.”
Prof McNicholas said these feelings were not unusual in young people and it was a treatable condition.
“The main way to treat adolescents is through talking therapy. Cognitive behaviour therapy is also used. The services are there, but we can always do with more, and we are still far below what we need.”
Also speaking at the seminar, Dr John Sharry, child and family psychotherapist at the Mater Hospital, said it was crucial to train people closest to young people and who meet them every day.
“Teachers are at the coal face, they are the first person teenagers talk to every day.
“Teenage years are difficult anyway, but today there are more dangers young people can become exposed too — there is more drinking, more young people driving and engaging in high-risk behaviour,” he added.
