President highlights tragedy of the increase in youth suicide

The increasing rate of suicide in young people was causing "a very, very deep malaise and unease" among people, the President, Mrs McAleese, said yesterday.

Between 1976 and 1998, there was a four-fold increase in the suicide rate of males aged between 15 and 24. Mrs McAleese said it had wreaked devastation on those who were bereaved.

She was speaking at the launch of a book of guidelines for suicide prevention in schools. The guidelines, drawn up by the Irish Association of Suicidology and the National Suicide Review Group, will be distributed to all schools in the coming weeks.

They give advice on recognising the warning signs of suicidal behaviour and outline preventative actions. Advice on coping with the aftermath of a pupil's suicide is also outlined.

Mrs McAleese said the book would act as a "guiding handrail" for teachers by heightening their awareness of pupils at risk and dispelling myths surrounding suicide.

She said part of the tragedy of suicide was the difficulty in predicting it. The taboo surrounding suicide had deeply compromised society's response to prevention.

"In Ireland, we can take some consolation in the evidence that being in education is a protective factor against suicide," she said.

Once-off lectures or seminars on suicide were of little value, and could actually be counter-productive, Mrs McAleese said. Programmes in social and personal development which reinforced positive messages were more effective.

Kilkenny guidance counsellor Dr Marian Rabbitte said the suicide of a young person had a "damaging and devastating impact on the entire community".

As well as affecting students and their friends, it affected teachers and the wider community. "The death of a close friend through suicide appears to impact as severely on a young person as the death of a brother or sister," she said.

She added that it could often be the first bereavement experience for many young people. "They need very intensive support to cope with a myriad of problems regarding their loss."

A call for more educational psychologists and guidance counsellors was made by Ms Myra Barry, clinical psychologist and Irish Association of Suicidology director. She said these extra staff would be needed to implement a comprehensive suicide prevention policy in schools.

"There are also staffing implications for health boards and other community agencies," Ms Barry said.