Teenage suicide is a tragedy waiting to happen because of a lack of resources and facilities in mental health services for young people, experts warned today.
Professor Carol Fitzpatrick of the Mater Hospital's Child Guidance Clinic called for inpatient treatment facilities for adolescents who were suicidal, and safe care placements for those who couldn't go back to their families.
Prof Fitzpatrick told the Oireachtas Sub-Committee on High Levels of Suicide in Irish society that 34 children under 15 years old had committed suicide over the past decade.
She said each year 50 people up to the age of 14 were seen at Temple Street A&E suffering from suicidal behaviour and another 20 to 30 teenagers between 14 and 15 years old were seen at the Mater.
But she said that while many of them could be sent home after assessment there were around 15 youngsters at Temple Street and the Mater each year who needed inpatient treatment because they were still suicidal and it was extremely difficult to find them services suitable for their age.
"We're not able to provide accessible mental health services which are user-friendly for adolescents," she said. "In our professional opinion, it is only a matter of time until a suicidal young person for whom an appropriate care placement or inpatient psychiatric treatment cannot be provided, leaves or is discharged from hospital and subsequently dies by suicide.
"We as professionals have done everything we can do to advise the hospitals, the Health Service Executive and the Ombudsman of the dangers to these young people, but this has been to no avail," she told the sub-committee.
"Within each health board area there should be access to an inpatient treatment unit for young people who need them." Prof Fitzpatrick also said there should be safe care units for young people whose care placements had repeatedly broken down.
Breakdown in the family unit and religious beliefs, alcohol, a history of suicide and depressive illness and not having anyone to talk to all put young people at risk of suicide, she said.
But while health professionals were able to work with teachers, carers and young people to raise awareness of depression, Prof Fitzpatrick said they couldn't provide safe care or emergency inpatient treatment for the very vulnerable minority.
PA