Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 25 Nov 1993

Vol. 436 No. 3

Adjournment Debate. - Male Suicides.

Miss M. Wallace

Research undertaken by the Fianna Fáil National Women's Committee produced disturbing figures in relation to suicides here. We were shocked by the figures, not merely by the high level of suicides but by the fact that so many men, in particular young men, were taking their lives. The research showed that the vast majority of suicides here are male.

For example, in the first quarter of this year there were 75 suicides, the initial statistic which focused our attention on this issue. Of 75 suicides in the first quarter of this year seven were women and 68 men. For 1992 there were 354 suicides reported here of whom 58 were women and 296 men. These stark figures speak for themselves. They clearly demonstrate that, in crises, men are not coping and that measures are urgently needed to address that problem.

Following our research the Fianna Fáil National Women's Committee released a statement drawing attention to the matter. I am chairperson of that committee and since that statement was released on Tuesday I have received a huge response. All day long my telephone has not ceased ringing. I received inquiries from the media and from people whose lives have been affected, who have had to pick up the pieces in the aftermath of a suicide. I have also been contacted by professional people with a special interest in this area, all of whom contend that more needs to be done, particularly at Government level, specificially by the Department of Health and perhaps, also by the Department of Education to educate our young people, in particular, on how to cope with modern day stresses.

I should draw to the Minister's attention that not only does the majority of suicides involve male persons but also that most suicides occur within ten to 15 years of the victims leaving school. We have been in touch with the Samaritans who have most first hand contact with people contemplating suicide. The statistics are startling. Last year alone 74,000 calls were made to the Samaritans in Dublin, which is only one of ten centres throughout the country, and 17,000 of those calls were classified coming from persons who were suicidal.

I queried the Samaritans in relation to the problems of suicide. They say it is not necessarily the problems people encounter that lead them to contemplate suicide but rather a feeling of hopelessness. We must seek a solution to this escalating problem and the only hope of success in that regard is by way of a proper research programme. We are making the specific request that the necessary resources be provided for the establishment of such programme.

The State can help in these areas: first, in regard to preventive measures; second, in the provision of accurate statistics and, third, by providing back up and counselling services. In order to take effective preventive measures we need comprehensive research on the phenomena of suicide in Ireland. For this reason the Fianna Fáil National Women's Committee, following the conclusion of their research, have called for the establishment of such a programme. The figures alone vindicate that call.

We need to ensure also that the statistics on suicide are accurate. We suggest a review of the current system of statistical collection and coding with a view to achieving the most accurate picture possible. The provision of back-up and counselling services is vitally important, not only for people who may feel suicidal but for the families of the victims of suicide. People from many such families have been in contact with me during the past few days. Because of the attention the subject has received this week alone I am convinced that this is an area the Government will have to examine. While the counselling service provided by the Samaritans is of much value, the health boards have a pivotal role to play in providing the professional counselling service necessary. That is the form in which action is needed.

In conclusion, I urge the Minister to give the proposals of the Fianna Fáil National Women's Committee the most serious consideration but, in particular, I am concerned about the three areas to which the statistics draw attention; the importance of national research into the subject, preventive measures and, most important, support for families in the aftermath of a suicide.

Minister of State at the Department of Education (Mr. Aylward)

I wish to apologise for the absence of the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy O'Dea, who has asked me to reply to this debate on his behalf. I thank Deputy Wallace for raising this matter as it gives me an opportunity to explain to the House the position in regard to this sensitive issue.

By way of background I would like to say that it is a common feature of suicides in western European countries that more men than women commit suicide but more women attempt suicide. Both suicide and attempted suicide in Ireland conform to this pattern.

In relation to suicide, information on all causes of death — including suicide — is published in the Annual Reports on Vital Statistics. The most recent report in this series is for 1990.

An analysis of suicides over the period 1981 to 1990 shows that male suicides ranged from a low of 70.7 per cent of all suicides in 1984 to a high of 78.3 per cent in 1985. Provisional figures for 1991 and 1992 show that male suicides have increased to 81.8 per cent and 83.7 per cent of the totals for the respective years.

However, it is important to note that the figures included in the annual reports are compiled on a basis that is different from the basis for the provisional figures. The main difference relates to the classification of events to the year of occurrence in the case of the annual reports and to the year of registration in the case of the provisional figures. Discrepancies can arise as a result of the two different approaches.

The position in relation to attempted suicide is less certain but it appears that female attempted suicides account for about 58 per cent of total attempted suicides. Despite the difficulties which can arise in regard to the interpretation of the available statistics, it does appear that there is an increase in male suicides as a percentage of the total but the reason for this is unclear.

The causes of suicide are complex. Changes in the cohesiveness of society, depression, an erosion of traditional values, lack of employment opportunities and social isolation are all factors which can contribute to individual distress. In response to the problem of suicide the health services provide support to those immediately identifiable as distressed.

A large proportion of suicides is associated with a recognisable mental disorder, most commonly a treatable mental illness. Health boards are involved in a number of ways in promoting better coping skills through parenting programmes, pre-school playgroups, life-skills education in schools, alcohol and drug awareness programmes and social support for elderly people living alone.

In responding to the problem of suicide, the primary role for the Department of Health lies, in conjunction with the health boards, in the organisation and delivery of psychiatric and other support services. There is also a role for health promotion. In this regard, one chapter in the Green Paper on Mental Health promotion. In this regard, one chapter in the Green Paper on Mental Health launched in June 1992 deals with the promotion of mental health and the prevention of suicide.

The Green Paper outlines the role mental health personnel can play in the prevention of suicide and emphasises the important contribution of voluntary bodies.

As an indication of the Minister's concern regarding the incidence of suicide, he has agreed that the Department of Health will contribute towards the cost of a pilot project on attempted self poisonings in Cork and which is to be carried out by staff of the Southern Health Board. The aim of this pilot project is to reduce the recurrence of attempted self poisonings and to develop intervention skills which may be applied in other areas. The Minister also agreed to provide financial support towards the cost of the Fifth European Symposium on Suicide and Self-poisoning, which will take place in University College Cork from 31 August to 3 September 1994.

This important symposium will be attended by between 200 and 300 distinguished researchers from all over Europe who are working in the area of better understanding and the prevention of suicide and suicidal behavour. The expert pool of knowlege and understanding of the factors contributing to suicide and attempted suicide thereby made available will, I am confident, assist our understanding of this very difficult problem.