asked the Minister for Health if he will give details of the number of deaths by suicide in each of the years, 1978, 1979 and 1980 in the State.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Suicide Numbers.
14.
The number of certified deaths from suicide was 154 in 1978 and 170 in 1979. These figures are provisional. Figures for 1980 are not yet available.
Does the Minister believe that these figures are a true reflection of the extent of the suicide problem? Does the Minister agree that there is a degree of understatement or under-reporting of this very worrying phenomenon?
It is more likely to be an understatement and it is generally regarded that there has been some reluctance to report suicides. The main methods of suicide in 1979 were poisoning by solids, liquid, or gas, 35 per cent, hanging, strangulation or suffocation, 23 per cent, drowning 29 per cent and others including firearms cutting or piercing instruments and jumping from high places, 13 per cent.
Will the Minister put a figure on the understatement? Would he agree that the true statistic is about twice the reported figure or is it less?
Studies have suggested that twice the figure or something approaching that is true. I have no information other than these studies which were carried out and reported in the British Medical Journal, for instance.
Has the Minister made any attempt to try to collect the euphenisms that we use for suicides? The figure of 154 to 170 shows an increase. Is the Minister worried about that increase and does he think it serious?
I gave the figures for the years for which I was asked but in 1976, or instance, the figure was 183. I do not know if the figures are associated with periods of depression but on the international statistics even if our figure is somewhat higher than reported we have a rate of 1.8 as against Australia with a rate of 12.4, Canada 10.9, Denmark 20.8 and Sweden 22.
We have death by misadventure, do we not?
In view of the fact that international studies reveal that the two categories of the population most likely to commit suicide are the elderly and young students, will the Minister refer this growing statistic to the Health Education Bureau to see if we can undertake some kind of campaign to alert people to the depressive nature of some individuals that can lead to this kind of conclusion?
I will do that, but the elderly are not particularly high in this category. In 1978 the age group of 65 and over are 10 per cent of the total and are 16 per cent of the total in 1979 whereas the age group 25 to 64 made up 76 per cent of the total in 1978 and 65 per cent in 1979.
(Cavan-Monaghan): Does the Minister agree that the possible understatement of the number of suicidal deaths is due to a long tradition here of giving the unfortunate deceased or his relatives the benefit of the doubt where it might be a case of suicide or a case of accidental or natural death? Does the Minister think that there is a lot wrong with that and does he feel that it would be possible to treat people who are depressed through the psychiatric services without smoking out suicides?
I cannot make any particular comment. The Deputy has really made a comment rather than asked a question.
(Cavan-Monaghan): I asked is the possible under-recording of suicidal deaths due to the fact that there is a long tradition here for coroners and others concerned to give the benefit of the doubt to the unfortunate deceased or the immediate relatives of the deceased where it could be suicide or accidental death? Does the Minister think there is anything wrong with that?
I presume this is largely the case. Even if, by international comparisons, we doubled the figure we had we are still in a relatively small area in terms of suicides. In case I said percentages earlier it is per 100,000 of the population. It is 1.8 per 100,000.
I would remind the House that we are getting on very slowly at Questions.