Despite the blurry pace of social change in recent years, Philip McTaggart says the stigma surrounding mental health is still one of the biggest obstacles to confronting suicide. "People are afraid to ask their children if they are all right, " he says.

"People are afraid to give their kids a hug or to tell them they love them. A lot of the time young people can't see a way out of their problems. Our young people need to know that there is a way out, and we as a community must ensure that they know we are there for them."

McTaggart, from the Ardoyne area of north Belfast, helped establish the Pips Project, the Public Initiative for the Prevention of Suicide and Self-Harm, in response to a surge in the number of suicides in north Belfast, particularly among young people. It is named in memory of his son, Pip, who hanged himself in the grounds of Holy Cross Church two years ago.

Pip was one of 12 people from the Ardoyne area who died in the space of a year. Many of them were young men who had gone to the same school and were part of the same group of friends.

Many theories have been put forward for the rise in suicide in the area. Locals complain that the only facilities for young people are in Protestant areas. The nearest leisure centre is in a Catholic area, two bus rides away, says one parent. Intimidation by paramilitaries has been another factor.

"When you walk around here the kids look miserable," says one parent. "They're hanging out on street corners, with nothing to do." The Pips Project, which offers support to people affected by suicide, has been inundated with calls from worried parents since it was established. "We get 10 or 20 calls a week from people who have read our leaflets or want to have a chat about how they are feeling," says Murphy.

While the project was established in the Catholic Ardoyne area, it has been offering its services to both communities. "This is a cross-community project and groups right across Northern Ireland have been making contact with us to see how they can start up support groups in their area," says Murphy.

McTaggart adds, "Although we are mainly based in Ardoyne we have been able to cross the divide and have gone to help families on the Shankill and in Tigers Bay. It is unfortunate that we have to exist at all but the fact that we can provide information to families who need our help is worthwhile."

Volunteers with the Pips Project have been trained in bereavement counselling and other forms of support. But the group is calling for greater resources to be pumped into raising awareness of, and dealing with mental health issues, such as depression, among the young. Jo Murphy says hope of meaningful preventative measures against suicide must involve a sustained commitment by government and health agencies, as well as at community level. "The fact that north Belfast is an interface area adds to the pressures. But it is only by working in partnership with other agencies that we can help to tackle the factors which can lead to suicide - like unemployment, low income and poor housing."