Ireland's high suicide rate will be discussed this week as international health officials gather for a week-long conference in Killarney, Co Kerry.
Organised by the Irish Association of Suicidology, the conference - which begins tomorrow and runs till Saturday - will bring together Irish charities and support groups, along with international experts, to discuss suicide and prevention strategies.
Around 600 people take their own lives in Ireland every year - higher than previously thought.
Suicide experts from the United States, Canada, across Europe, China, Australia and New Zealand will attend the congress, which is entitled Preventing Suicide Across the Lifespan: Dreams and Realities.
President Mary McAleese, who is a patron of the Irish Association of Suicidology, welcomed the meeting. "The deliberations of this conference are vital in highlighting the increasing incidence of suicide, the single largest cause of violent death throughout the world."
The conference will include scientific workshops addressing areas such as cross-cultural issues, child and adolescent suicide, copycat suicide, elderly suicide, mental illness treatment, and gender issues.