There’s still an idea in Irish culture that having a therapist is ‘very American’, and something that is best avoided here

I have heard people express bitterness towards those who have taken their own lives, I have heard others ask sufferers ‘why’ they’re depressed considering how privileged they have been in other aspects of their lives, writes Louise O’Neill

I was recently asked to support Pieta House and the Darkness into Light initiative on May 6. When faced with the frightening statistics that show on average 10 people die by suicide every week in this country — we have the second highest suicide rate for young men in the world and the fourth highest rate of self harm in teenage girls — I felt compelled to take part. I was not the only one.

Arriving out to Clonakilty GAA pavilion at 4am, I was immediately struck by the size of the crowds. In a town with approximately 4,000 inhabitants, more than 2,000 people had turned up to walk and to raise awareness around this devastating issue. Those numbers were reflected all over the country, with an estimated 150,000 people walking in support of Pieta House.