Loneliness a factor in many rural suicides

A CORONER has blamed “pure loneliness” as a contributory factor to a high incident rate of suicides in a rural region.

South Kerry coroner Terence Casey yesterday described as “crazy” the number of people taking their own lives in his area.

He warned the incidence rate was near “crisis stage”.

His comments came as a former nurse Deirdre Lee, now a business woman in Killarney, plans a public meeting next week to help combat the disease.

She wants health professionals and the public to discuss an integrated approach to preventing suicides.

“The primary aim is for us all to get an understanding of what services are out there and perhaps identify the gaps that need to be filled,” she said. “It would be very heartening to have representation from interested people from every area in Kerry to allow every community to benefit from what we hope will be a very informative meeting.”

The meeting is to be held in the Killarney Sports and Leisure centre on Tuesday next at 8pm.

Meanwhile, Mr Casey — coroner for Killarney, Cahersiveen and Ring of Kerry — said there had been 13 suicides so far in his area this year. Inquests had been held into most, he said.

Road accident deaths in the same area totalled three this year.

Mr Casey said the suicides were across all age groups, but mainly in older age groups. Four were people over 60 and three were in the 41-50 age group.

One recent inquest was into the death of an 85-year-old.

The incidence of suicide now in Kerry was “crazy” and it was getting to crisis stage, he said. “I believe this is pure loneliness.”

People in rural Ireland, he added, were becoming isolated and there seemed to be no solution to the isolation with difficulties getting to the pub, the post office and other amenities.

The public meeting, An Integrated Approach to Kerry’s Fight Against Suicide, is open to all voluntary groups and professionals working in this area and to those willing to make a commitment to the fight against suicide.

Ms Lee hopes the meeting would help to avoid duplicating services and to enable the voluntary organisations to maximise their resources.

Details of the five-week educational programme, Peer Support Training, will be given at the meeting. The educational programme will be sponsored by Be Aware: Prevent Suicide and the first 14 places will be available to volunteers who will train as peer support training facilitators .

They will then roll out the peer support training to schools, companies, clubs, volunteer groups and wherever demand arises.