Suicide Prevention - More Information

The funding announced today will allow communities to develop suicide prevention initiatives and which will assist them in preventing suicidal behaviour at all levels by providing for example places where people can access support and information such as youth cafes; networks of carers and supporters in the community that can respond to signs of risk by completing ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) or SafeTalk (suicide awareness training programmes); and suicide bereavement support information, outreach and counselling services to support families and communities when individual tragedies occur. This approach will enhance the ability of communities to prevent suicidal behaviour at all levels of risk and is consistent with Reach Out: the National Strategy for Action on Suicide Prevention (2005)and will complement the national work undertaken by the NOSP.

Name of Group  -  County

• HURUMA Ltd t/a Wellsprings - Cork
• Northside Partnership Ltd - Dublin 17
• L.inC (Lesbians in Cork) - Cork
• Tallaght Travellers Youth Service - Dublin 24
• The Base Ballyfermot Youth Centre - Dublin 10
  and Childcare Facility
• Waterford Area Partnership - Waterford
• Westmeath Community - Westmeath
  Development Ltd
• Donegal Women's Network - Donegal
• North Kerry Together Ltd - Kerry
  (Ciarrai Thuaidh le Cheile Teoranta )
• Foroige - Dublin 12
• Open Heart House - Dublin 7
• Pieta House Limited - Co. Dublin
• Suicide or Survive - Co. Dublin
• The Deora Project - Dublin 1
• Youth Work Ireland Galway/ - Galway
  T/A Galway Regional Youth
  Federation Ltd.
• Foroige - Dublin 12
• Finglas Suicide Network - Dublin 11
• Carrick on Shannon Family - Leitrim 
  Life Centre Committee
• School St and Thomas Court Bawn - Dublin 8
  Family Resource Centre's service
  Liberties Counselling
• Roscommon Lions Club - Roscommon
• Northwest Roscommon Community - Roscommon
  Development Project /Ballaghadereen
  Mental Health Association
• North Dublin Befriending Service - Dublin 7
• County Wexford - Wexford
  Partnership Limited
• The Roscommon Partnership - Roscommon
  Company Ltd
• Console - Dublin 9
• Ossory Youth (Lifeline Kilkenny) - Kilkenny

Deaths by suicide

• The provisional data published by the Central Statistics Office for 2009 shows a 24% increase in the number of deaths by suicide from 424* in 2008 to 527* in 2009.
• This increase is particularly disappointing in view of the fact that the number of deaths had decreased year on year from 497 in 2003 to 424* in 2008.

Suicide Prevention

Reach Out Action Area 7 highlights the need for community-based responses to suicide. The integrated action plan will result in communities being able to prevent suicidal behaviour at all levels of risk by developing, for example:

• Supportive places where people can access support and information such as youth cafes
• Networks of carers and supporters in the community that can respond to signs of risk by completing ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) or SafeTalk (suicide awareness training programmes)
• Suicide bereavement support information, outreach and counselling services to support families and communities when individual tragedies occur.
• Recent developments in the area of ‘therapeutic technologies’ also offers an additional opportunity to resource communities to meet the needs of vulnerable young people by providing support through mobile phone and internet based platforms.

See Change - Reducing the stigma

The launch of the National Stigma Reduction Campaign ‘See Change’ in April last The aim of the campaign is to

• Reduce the stigma associated with mental health problems and challenge discrimination.
• Create an environment where people are more open and positive in their attitudes and behaviour towards mental health.
• Promote a greater understanding and acceptance of and support for people with mental health problems, and
• Empower individual people with experience of mental health problems to gain equality, respect and rights.

As part of this campaign Minister John Moloney TD will be hosting a series of townhall meetings around the country. The following meetings have been confirmed so far.

• Clare Templegate Hotel, Ennis 14th September @ 7.30pm
• Limerick Courtenay Lodge Hotel, Newcastle West 4th October @ 7.30pm
• Donegal Venue in Letterkenny TBC 11th October @ 8pm
• Dun Laoghaire Assembly Room, County Hall, Dun Laoghaire 18th October @ 8pm
• Wexford Riverside Hotel, Enniscorthy 21st October @ 8pm
• Dublin City Council City Offices, Woodquay, Dublin 8 1st November @ 7pm
• Mayo Venue in Castlebar TBC 8th November @ 8pm