Conference hears of 'hidden suicides'

AT LEAST one-third of single-vehicle road traffic accidents and a certain proportion of “accidental” poisonings and drownings in Ireland may be hidden cases of suicide, a conference heard at the weekend.

Dr Ella Arensman, Director of Research at the National Suicide Research Foundation (NSRF) said that the real figure for completed suicides in Ireland was likely to be higher than the annual average of 500 suicides estimated by Central Statistic Office (CSO) figures.

She told the Your Health and Europeconference in Cork, organised by MEP Colm Burke, that the NSRF was currently undertaking two research projects to ascertain the true incidence of suicides taking place in this country ever year.

“The indications are that maybe one-third – at least – of single-vehicle road accidents may be hidden cases of suicide, but they are currently all regarded as accidents. Recent figures over the last year show an increase in accidental poisoning by paracetamol which is a very common method of self-harm and we are also looking into that area,” explained Dr Arensman.

She pointed out that quite often when a coroner did not have enough evidence to prove a death caused by “accidental” poisoning or drowning was in fact a suicide, an open verdict was returned at the inquest.

“Since 2004, the rate of undetermined deaths for men and women has increased and it is likely that a certain proportion of these deaths are hidden cases of suicide. We have just started a project with the coroners to find out more about undetermined deaths.”

Dr Arensman said the figures available for suicide and medically-treated self-harm in Ireland were the “tip of the iceberg” in her view and they were missing insight and information into a huge number of cases.

The National Registry of Self- Harm shows that 11,000 cases of non-fatal self-harm are treated at Irish emergency departments annually, but Dr Arensman said there were an estimated 60,000 further cases of hidden deliberate self-harm.

“We need to aim for more targeted intervention at the lower levels of the iceberg. If there is no appropriate intervention for young people who harm themselves at the bottom of the iceberg after the very first incidence, they are very likely to go on to more lethal methods of self-harm, and possibly suicide,” she warned.

In Ireland, the most common methods of deliberate self-harm are cutting and overdosing on a mixture or prescribed and unprescribed drugs.

Dougie Paterson, programme manager of Choose Life, NHS Scotland told the conference that Scotland had invested heavily in its national suicide prevention strategy and the country had seen a drop of 13 per cent in its suicide rates since the strategy started in 2002.

The rate of suicide in Scotland is double that of the rest of the UK, and the target is to reduce the overall rate by 20 per cent by 2013 – even if they reach this target, the Scottish rate will still be well above all other EU countries, including Ireland.

While rates of suicide are particularly high among young men in Scotland reflecting a world-wide trend, Mr Paterson said they were now seeing a rise in suicide among middle-aged men, which was perhaps reflected in Ireland.