Suicide risks - Specialist teams are only a start
A study undertaken in the Mater Hospital in Dublin highlights this as a possible way to reduce the rate of suicide among young people, so it must warrant serious consideration.
Suicide accounts for more deaths annually than do road traffic accidents. There are also several thousand parasuicidal incidents non-fatal suicidal behaviour the preponderance of them among women, especially those between 15 and 19 years of age.
In fact, Ireland is currently one of the countries with the highest rates of both dispositions in Europe.
A cause of particular concern is that in recent years there has been a strong increase in suicidal behaviour in young people here.
Importantly, the Mater study focused on 14 to 20-year-olds in a suicidal crisis. It was they who had suggested the special teams and the idea was incorporated in the subsequent report.
Obviously, this was a study which listened to and took cognisance of the insights given by young people who had attended the hospital's A&E department because of self-hurt over a twelve-month period.
It emerged from the study that many of them did not receive a psychiatric assessment and, because previous self-harm is a major risk factor for subsequent suicide, the provision of a high standard of care for those who harm themselves could help reduce the rate of suicide.
In a significant way, the study is taking a direction from those young and vulnerable people in recommending a service that was informal, accessible on a 24-hour basis and staffed by people with experience of mental health, alcohol and drug-related disorders.
As the study pointed out, if an assessment at the A&E stage could significantly reduce the risk of repeated deliberate self-harm, then steps should be taken to ensure that all patients received such an assessment.
What must be remembered, unfortunately, is that this is merely part of the picture and the number of people who resort to self-harm and do not present themselves at an A&E department is an unknown quantity.
The National Suicide Research Foundation (NSRF) has consistently said that more research is needed to improve early identification of people who are at risk of suicidal behaviour.
More research is needed to improve treatment of those who have engaged in one or more episodes of parasuicide and to improve the efficacy of suicide prevention programmes.
Despite the fact that suicide is responsible for more deaths than road traffic accidents, the amount of public money spent to educate people about it is miniscule when compared with the millions spent on road safety campaigns.
That, obviously, is not to suggest that one should be subordinate to the other but far too little is being done by the Government and Department of Health to elevate suicide to a more urgent and pressing level.
The Mater study may have dealt with just the tip of the iceberg but it has the potential to save lives if the recommendations it produced are implemented.
It should be considered an important start in a critical area and cost should not be a deterring factor in providing the suggested service.
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