Josephine Scott, executive officer with the Irish Association of Suicidology, says positive mental health from an early age is vital to reduce suicide rates
I have worked with the Irish Association of Suicidology since its inauguration in 1996. My job includes managing the organisation and arranging training for teachers and voluntary organisations through seminars and workshops. I also arrange conferences for professionals, volunteers and the general public and produce a quarterly newsletter which keeps people updated on developments in suicide prevention.
Each day can be different. Dealing with calls from worried parents can sometimes take up most of a morning but I do get a lot of satisfaction knowing I have helped someone. I think with the high rates of suicide among 15-25 year-old males, the increase in bullying in schools and the ever increasing alcohol consumption, parents are becoming really concerned for the wellbeing of their children. It surprises me how little the general public know about the services available but then, how many of us read up on a particular illness until we forced to do so by circumstances? Callers tell me the most amazing stories of how they have come to contact me. One lady was desperately worried that her son might take his own life. She had found a diary in his room indicating this may be the case. She was sitting by the fire not knowing where to turn as she looked down she saw a newspaper sticking out from under the coal box with our name and number on it. It had been there for six months. She called me several times over the next couple of weeks. I helped her deal with the shock and put her in touch with the services where she could get help for her son. As there are far too few counsellors in the public services, getting help for people can sometimes be a daunting task.
Education is the key to success. If we are to reduce the rates of suicide in Ireland, it is important to promote positive mental health from an early age. By understanding psychological pain, young people may then be able to identify the feelings they are experiencing, talk about them, understand that there is help available and realise that suicide is never the answer.
I have a lot of contact with school principals worried about students or from teachers who may have experienced a suicide in their school.
Unfortunately, in some cases, it is not until there is a crisis that procedures are put in place. This is not the fault of the school where staff are already overworked. We published Suicide Prevention in Schools: Best Practice Guidelines in 2002 and teachers frequently contact me for advice on its implementation. I remember receiving a call from a principal at 3.30pm who was in a panic as he felt if he allowed a student home at 4pm as usual he might take his own life. I talked him through steps for dealing with the suicidal student and advised him of the services available. Situations such as this can be difficult for a teacher with little or no training in the area of suicide prevention. For this reason I run training seminars at various locations throughout the country to help teachers set up crisis teams and draft policy for suicide prevention in schools. I run two major conferences each year covering every aspect of suicide prevention. I am currently working on the production of guidelines for the prevention of bullying as this is an ever increasing problem both in schools and in the workplace; text bullying has now become the latest form of psychological torture.
Sometimes it can be tough when a parent is expressing their pain after they have been bereaved by suicide, blaming themselves, wishing they could turn back the clock but this can never be. All I can do is listen and offer whatever hope I can. Yes, it can be tough but for now I wouldn't change it.
For further details: www.ias.ie and joscott@eircom.net
(In interview with Ali Bracken)