Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise this issue. I commend the Irish Examiner on its contribution to the debate on this subject and for its advance over the past days. I am drawing from information received at the 13th Annual Conference of the Irish Association of Suicidology held on 1 October, the theme of which was, Surviving Recession: Promoting Mental Health and Preventing Suicide. The Minister of State was very kind to attend and officially open the conference and to launch guidelines.

Research going back to the 1890s demonstrates suicide and mental illness increase at times of recession. The World Health Organisation, WHO, stated earlier this year: "It should not come as a surprise that we continue to see more stresses, suicides and mental disorders." The director of the WHO also stated: "There is clear evidence that suicide is linked to financial disasters. I am not talking about the millionaire jumping out of the window but about poor people." The potential psychological impact of economic recession on public health is severe. Job loss, job insecurity, job uncertainty, economic strain, loss of income, home repossession and restricted access to credit lead to a reduction in mental well-being, an increase in mental health problems and mental ill-health, increased substance misuse, especially alcohol and drugs, and intimate relationship breakdown and divorce. There is a loss of perceived social worth. There is a loss of purpose and daily structure, reduced social contacts and an increase in social isolation. An increased risk of suicidal behaviour occurs, both non-fatal self-harm and completed suicides.

People who are unemployed are two to three times more likely to die of suicide than those in employment. This high rate is partly because people with psychiatric illness are at a greater risk of losing their jobs. There is an association between unemployment and suicide. However, even among people with no record of serious mental illness, unemployment is associated with a 70% greater suicide risk. Prospective individual level studies show that unemployment has a causal influence on depression and suicidal thinking.

Job insecurity is associated with a 33% greater risk of common mental disorders, mainly anxiety and depression. People with mental disorder are more likely to be in debt than those who have no mental disorder. A United States research document indicates that a loss of income rather than low income was associated with suicidal ideation. In Hong Kong, 24% of all suicides in 2004 concerned people in debt.

Alcohol consumption rises during recessions, and this correlates with suicide. The figure for the 1990s in this country was a 44% increase in alcohol consumption and a 41% increase in suicide.

Analysis of suicide rates in Latvia during a period of massive economic and social change showed that the sudden decline in GDP was associated with a rapid increase in suicide. In Russia, mortality, especially suicide, increased substantially after the economic crisis in 1989.

I put it to the Minister that in times of recession there is a need for the State to respond to this problem. A little over €3 million has been given to the National Office for Suicide Prevention. I put it to the Minister of State that a modest €10 million to meet this crisis is not too much to ask.

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