Vol. 394 No. 8
96 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health if he will make a statement in relation to recent reports in a leading Scandinavian medical journal (details supplied) which reported a 1,000 per cent increase in Irish suicide rates in the 20-35 age group in the years from 1970 to 1985 inclusive.
It is essential to distinguish between reported and actual numbers of suicides. The article to which the Deputy refers based its calculation of increases on the number of reported suicides which, due to improvements in recording of cases, has increased.
The article uses a base year, 1970, in which very few suicides for the younger age group were reported. A leading Irish professor of psychiatry has pointed out that such a low base severely distorts the actual rate of change, since even a small numerical increase amounts to a very high percentage increase.
