The suicide rate in Clare increased significantly last year, according to figures released yesterday. Gordon Deegan reports.
Provisional figures show there were 20 suspected suicides in the county in 2004. In 2003, there were 13 suicides, 12 in 2002 and 13 in 2001.
The figures for 2004 show that 15 males and five females took their lives in Clare. Ten of the men who took their lives were in the 40- to 60-year-old category.
Four people lost their lives after falling off the Cliffs of Moher, while 10 died through hanging. Among the females, three of the five were in the 20- to 40-year-old category.
The provisional figures put the suicide rate in Clare last year at 19.4 per 100,000, eight points above the national figure of 11.2 per 100,000.
The president of the Irish Association of Suicidology, Deputy Dan Neville (FG), said he was "seriously concerned at the figures and would be disappointed if they reflect a national trend.
"If they do, it only confirms the ongoing state neglect of suicide prevention, where there is no suicide prevention programme in place. Such programmes exist in Australia and Norway, and in Australia the government has reduced the suicide figure by 25 per cent since 1997.
"State investment in mental health services is appalling and a scandalous disgrace. Investment is needed in community-based psychiatric services."
Mr Neville called on the Minister for Health to clarify the number of deaths by suicide, in view of the CSO announcement yesterday that there were 478 suicides nationally in 2002.
"Today's announcement by the CSO indicates that there were 478 deaths by suicide in 2002. However, in a Dáil Éireann reply to me on February 18th, 2003, the Minister informed me that 451 people died by suicide in that year.
"It is important that the figures available to researchers and clinicians examining suicide and its prevention are as accurate as possible. The difference in figures from the Minister for Health and Children and the CSO must be clarified immediately."
Mr Neville said suicide was under-reported by 10 to 20 per cent because of "the inevitable grey area in some cases, where it is very difficult determine as to whether it was suicide."
Consultant psychiatrist Dr Moosajee Bhamjee said the Clare figures "are very alarming".
"The rise is worrying in spite of improvements to access of mental health services", he said.
"People put themselves under a lot of financial pressure to have big cars and big houses, and it would help if people had reduced expectations of life.
"Also, people must see that something like a marriage break-up is not the end of their lives."