Lynch backs sex abuse suicide study

A minister has backed a potential in-depth study into suicide among clerical sex abuse survivors — and the likely impact on future generations.

Mental Health Minister Kathleen Lynch said the examination would be “a very valuable piece of research”.

She was speaking after the launch of three reports on suicide and self-harm.

National Office for Suicide Prevention launched its Annual Report today http://t.co/oU4K0SnaNt

— Kathleen Lynch (@KathleenLynch05) September 5, 2013

During a question and answer session, she was asked by an abuse survivor if plans for such a study had ever been considered. While she stopped short of saying funding should be made available for the examination, she said anecdotal evidence showed the issue needed to be examined more closely.

Her stance was supported by National Suicide Research Foundation director Prof Ella Arensman who said the matter has been discussed during “consultations” with abuse survivor representatives.

“In 2006, we had a series of consultation meetings. One of the very positive experiences was people felt as though they could talk with us as we [the NSRF] are an independent organisation.

“It is not just about the survivor, it is also about the next generation [of their family],” said Prof Arensman, noting severe trauma in childhood can have a significant impact on relationships survivors may have with their children.

While clerical abuse survivor groups insist there was enough anecdotal evidence to point to a link between suicide and abuse from an early age, the evidence was far clearer in other jurisdictions due to formal studies.

Last year an Australian police investigation into clerical abuse in the state of Victoria found 40 suicides among 170 people who had been attacked when they were children.

Independent suicide prevention group 1Life has previously called for a major study to uncover the long-term and potential inter-generational impact of clerical sex abuse here.

In Dec 2011 the organisation said one in every four people who contacted it that year were from those attacked in their youth.

“I want to see an audit between suicide and child abuse because we feel, anecdotally, there is a huge link between that and people who are in crisis or self harming,” said Console services director Ciaran Austin, at the time.

“But there has been no study to pinpoint it. When people present high risk it could be a reaction to two to three key life events or losses in their life. There is something underlying.”