‘More could have been done,’ say 70% of families affected by suicide

More than 70% of families who lost someone to suicide believe “more could have been done” in the period leading up to the death.

A key feature noted in the Suicide in Ireland report is the poor experience had by the person who took their life and their families when dealing with a range of State services.

For example, 66% of the 104 families who dealt with the HSE before their suicide rated them as either negative or very negative. Some of the direct quotes given by families highlight the frustration felt when having to deal with such services:

* “Sent home twice from A/E.”

*“Sent home from A/E day before.”

* “Impossible to get answers from anybody where his catchment area was — he was in the wrong hospital so they sent him to (another A/E) with a note ‘sorry, not our area’.”

* “Called psych hospital, no help, called OPD [out-patient department], no help.”

* Letter stating: “You failed to show for your appointment so obviously therapy is not indicated at this stage.”

* “He told them in hospital he was suicidal.”

* “I’ll kill myself before I go back into psych hospital (did)”.

Similarly, 45% of the families whose loved one had exposure to the justice services and gardaí before taking their lives rated them as negative or very negative.

Some families surveyed for the report said their loved one was arrested to “teach him a lesson”.

Another family said their loved one, who was the victim of an assault, had the statement shown to the perpetrator, who later returned with violence.

Just 8% cited their loved ones’ experience of the education system as negative or very negative in the period leading up to their death.

However, those interviewed did cite worrying incidents before the suicide, including the “college not calling he failed to show for his finals” and a loved one being “beaten up” by one of the teachers.

In another case, the teacher retained a private journal of the person who took their own life as a threat, while another family indicated that their loved one was singled out in a tutorial and “humiliated in front of 10 students”.

A total of 16% of the families who were interviewed by researchers rated the statutory suicide post-vention services as negative or very negative.

Once again, a number of disturbing elements were raised by families including gardaí not appearing to be trained to deal with suicide, being “rude and derogatory” at the suicide site.

In one case, a garda was reported as having made remarks about “young people and drugs” when the suicide did not relate to drugs but instead to depression.

Another garda was reported as consoling a father with the words: “Oh no, it could be a lot worse, it could happen again.”

The report recommends the introduction of a confidential inquiry approach to enable healthcare professionals overcome their traditional defensive positions in the aftermath of any suicide death.