Irish society needs to develop a culture of openness around issues such as depression if it is to tackle the scourge of suicide, President Mary McAleese said yesterday.
Speaking at the first national forum on suicide prevention, organised by a division of the Health Service Executive (HSE), Mrs McAleese said society needed to stringently examine its attitudes and practices which had the potential to harm people's mental health.
"The role played by alcohol is an obvious starting point for it plays a not inconsiderable role in certain types of suicide. Loneliness, social isolation, bullying, illness, grief, loss, fear - these all have the capacity to close down hope in the human person but we as individuals, as family and as community have an even greater capacity as well as an obligation to be bringers of care, support and comfort to one another."
She said suicide left a legacy of profound misery and grief. However, instead of allowing such feelings to "fester in silence", many were harnessing this energy towards finding effective strategies for prevention.
Mrs McAleese said she was greatly encouraged by discussions at a forum she hosted at Áras an Uachtaráin last March when groups and individuals working in the field of suicide prevention came together and pooled their experiences and ideas.
Since then a new 10-year strategy on reducing suicide had been published by the Government, while the National Office for Suicide Prevention, which organised yesterday's national forum, had been established within the HSE.
She said there were many things people could do to address the problem of suicide, such as harnessing sensitivity towards one another, encouraging people to live active and engaged lives, promoting sensible behaviour around drugs and alcohol, and developing a culture of openness in which problems could be discussed.
"I look forward to seeing the growth of a culture and environment where people in psychological distress don't hesitate to seek help from family, friends and health professionals. A culture where we recognise the signs and signals of that distress and help guide ourselves, or others, to good help. A culture where we focus early in life on developing good coping skills and avoiding harmful practices," Mrs McAleese said.
At yesterday's forum, the National Office for Suicide Prevention, established last year, provided a progress report on the implementation of the 10-year strategy, Reach Out.
It includes the launch of an awareness campaign which will aim to erase the stigma around mental health and encourage people to seek help.
The office has also commissioned a review of bereavement services, and funding has been provided to the group Console to develop a national help line.
Geoff Day, head of the National Suicide Prevention Office, told the forum of recent international research findings which may inform the development of Irish strategies.
They include an increased level of physical education, improvements in awareness of suicidal behaviour among professions working with high risk groups, and encouraging responsible reporting of suicide in the media.
Developments targeted at young people were also unveiled, including a a national youth website (www.spunout.ie) which offers support and advice on issues such as relationships, alcohol, drugs and sexuality.
The website, developed in conjunction with a group called Community Creations based in Donegal, is staffed by a full-time team of editors and features contributions from volunteers aged between 16 and 25. It is funded chiefly through grants from the public and private sectors.
Minister of State with responsibility for mental health Tim O'Malley praised the work of such groups for developing new ways of trying to reach out to young people.
