Major efforts must be made to get to the heart of why there is such a high incidence of suicide in Northern Ireland, the North's Health Minister, Shaun Woodward, said yesterday when launching a £4 million (€5.75 million) initiative over the next two years to tackle the issue of suicide.
The number of people who took their own lives in the North increased by almost 50 per cent last year to 213, according to the latest figures from the Northern Ireland General Registrar's Office.
In 2003, there were 144 suicides (112 males and 32 females) in Northern Ireland. The following year, there was a small increase to 146 (105 males and 41 females). The department does not yet have a suicide gender breakdown for 2005.
North and west Belfast, where several young people have taken their lives in recent years, are viewed as two of the North's suicide blackspots.
But Mr Woodward, while acknowledging this yesterday, pointed to how the issue was complex and difficult to combat.
He said there was great surprise when it was learned late last year that the greater number of suicides were found in Banbridge. This year's figures also witnessed large increases in Cookstown and Magherafelt.
Announcing the creation of a senior medical post to help address the issue, the Minister added, "We need to get to the heart of why this is happening. Is it a statistical freak? Or is something happening we don't know of?
"I am therefore commissioning a psychological profile of deaths by suicide. This will focus initially on two areas - north and west Belfast, which have seen very large concentrations of young deaths, and secondly in Banbridge," he said.
"There is a vital link between suicide and mental illness we need to understand more about. That link may be vital in trying to work out who to target in a suicide strategy and how to target this vulnerable group."
Mr Woodward said there was an urgent need to tackle suicide. He had initially decided to increase spending to £1 million this year, but because it was such a problem he was doubling that figure and in fact spending £4.4 million in the coming two years.
He said the medical and social services, as well as people affected by suicide, would work in unison to deal with the issue. He launched his suicide prevention strategy, "Protect Life", yesterday, based on recommendations contained in a report by voluntary and statutory agencies with the assistance of families bereaved through suicide.
Mr Woodward said the Northern Ireland director for mental health would work with Northern Ireland departments and agencies and "and act as a chief advocate for the improvement of the mental health of the Northern Ireland population".
"I want mental health services to move to the centre of our thinking, to be given the priority it deserves," he added.