Dáil debates

Tuesday, 2 February 2010

Adjournment Debate

Suicide Incidence.

12:00 pm

Photo of Dan NevilleDan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise this matter. I thank the Minister of State with responsibility for mental health and suicide, Deputy Moloney, for coming to the Chamber to respond to this debate.

The Government must address the emergency that has arisen following the announcement of an increase in suicide rates in the first half of 2009. The latest figures from the Central Statistics Office show the number of deaths by suicide increased by 35% in the first half of 2009, when compared to the same period in 2008. Some 228 people took their own lives in the first six months of last year, compared to 169 in the first six months of 2008. The Government must pay heed to the link between unemployment and suicide. It is alarming that figures for births, marriages and deaths also show an increase in the number of people dying by suicide. Those figures show that 77% of deaths by suicide are among men and 40% of those who take their own lives are under the age of 35. The Government should regard the 35% increase in the incidence of suicide as warranting an emergency response. Instead, it has been ignoring its duty to respond to the mental health crisis brought about by these times of recession.

The link between suicide and financial disaster is well established. Unemployment, insecure employment, threat to or loss of home and restricted access to credit take a heavy psychological toll on public health. There is a reduction in mental well-being and an increase in mental health problems, substance misuse, relationship breakdown and divorce. In recessionary times, there is a sudden gap between material needs and resources. Frustration increases during economic downturns, as an increasing proportion of people cannot realise their financial goals. This can increase aggression, including suicide. Research published in 1967 found that the absolute value of change in the stock market prices was associated with an increase in male suicide rates during 1929 to 1940. This confirmed the thesis that downward economic change in the business cycle increases suicide. The rate of unemployment emerged in earlier studies as the leading predictor of suicide rates. There have been numerous studies of this type over the years, most of which continue to illustrate a clear link between unemployment and suicide rates. This is especially true for males.

All studies indicate higher rates of psychological and physical ill health among men and women who are in insecure work or are unemployed. A protracted period of unemployment at a young age seems to have a particularly deleterious effect on the mental health of young men, regardless of their social background. Unemployment has a profound effect on people, especially the young and those in middle age. Irish society awards status and prestige in accordance with a person's position and contribution to work. Unemployment is associated with loss of face and prestige. Those who are unemployed are six times more likely to suffer from a psychiatric disorder than those who are in employment. The unemployed are between four and six times more likely to take their own lives than the general population. The high rate and threat of home foreclosures is of concern. Homes are the primary investment of most Irish people. I have been warning the Government about this trend for some time. Just under €4 million has been allocated to the National Office for Suicide Prevention. I suggest to the Government that a modest €10 million be allocated.

I would like to conclude by congratulating the Minister of State on his contribution to last Sunday's "Marian Finucane" radio programme, to which I listened. Some of my colleagues at the Irish Association of Suicidology, including the other directors, asked me to convey their congratulations to the Minister of State on his excellent and brave remarks.

Photo of Lucinda CreightonLucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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Hear, hear.

Photo of John MoloneyJohn Moloney (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I thank those who prepared my script for this debate. As it deals mostly with specific numbers, I wish to depart from it in my response to Deputy Neville. I am not responding directly to his concluding remarks when I say that over the 20 months I have spent travelling the country and meeting groups, I have always found that the Deputy presents these issues in a genuine manner. The manner in which he has soldiered on with regard to this issue, over so many years, proves his commitment. I have heard his arguments and I fully accept the point he made about funding. I assure Deputies that the necessary commitment exists in the Vision for Change document. While money is an issue, all the funding in the world will not make that much difference if people are not aware of the services that are available and if the issue is not destigmatised. Rather than speaking about the targets that have been set, I would like to say that when I was appointed to this job 20 months ago, I gave a clear commitment that I would produce a capital programme by March 2010. I intended to do that at Farmleigh House on 1 March next. I fully accept Deputy Neville's point that this is not all about new buildings or new structures. At the same time, the old structures that served us well in the past century have passed their sell-by dates. We must assure service users that we intend to meet our commitment to ring-fence the fund for the capital programme. The programme must have a specific timeframe and price tag. I will outline my proposals in that regard on 1 March next.

I would like to respond specifically to Deputy Neville's comments. Regardless of the commitments I have mentioned, our major challenge is to make people understand that mental health should be treated the same as physical health. In the past 20 months, I have brought together people from different walks of life to deal specifically with the stigma that attaches to mental health. As I have always believed that one cannot talk about such matters forever, I intend to produce a national programme, See Change, in April or May of this year. I have asked Mr. John Saunders, the former director of Schizophrenia Ireland, to lead the national programme. We have met once a month in recent months to do a great deal of valuable work. I recognise the huge commitment of Mr. Geoff Day of the National Office for Suicide Prevention. I would also like to mention people in the Department like the new director, Mr. Martin Rogan, as well as Barbara, Dora and Joan. I am not getting carried away with a Barack Obama-style motivational policy. However, it is important to organise and provide funding for town hall meetings that are attended by professionals, and at which we will encourage people to talk about the issue of mental well-being. I have talked about this for a long time, but the time for action is around the corner. It will come in April or May, as I have said.

I am not approaching this issue from a professional background. As a funeral undertaker, however, over the years I have seen the difficulty and distress of families bereaved by suicide. The real challenge is to get people to understand that nothing should be hidden in this area. I have always believed that while national campaigns can be very successful, targeted local campaigns are also needed. Local radio stations will be involved in the upcoming campaign, as part of an attempt to encourage people to come forward. The theme of each week's meeting will be "well-being and mental health". I am looking forward to getting five or six local personalities, for example from sport, politics or the arts, to speak each week to show what Vision for Change is all about. I refer to the recovery model and to be able to confirm locally that services exist. It is up to the Government to provide such services and it must live up to that commitment. This is part of A Vision for Change, which has been running for four years and has a further five years to go and now is the time to try to encourage belief.

I accept fully that the figures referred to by Deputy Neville give great cause for concern. I will not pretend for a second that the economic decline means this trend will be only temporary. I also believe in the importance of awareness among all accident and emergency units. I have invited accident and emergency personnel to Dublin to try to encourage them to conform with a uniform policy of spotting self-harming and tendencies towards depression to ensure that follow-ups take place in this regard.

I heard what Deputy Neville said and respect him for his comments and I have taken up this matter since the time I chaired the Joint Committee on Health and Children. While it is important for the Government to set targets, I also believe that one must put together the principles. Rather than simply reading out that funding has been spent or that commitments are in place, it is more important that they should come with that national programme. While I am tempted to ask the Government to nominate 2010 to be mental health year, I do not wish to do so until specific proposals are in place that can be delivered, lest it is again perceived as an attempt at pretence. However, a commitment will be made in March in respect of the capital programme for A Vision for Change and the focus in April will be on stigma eradication. I hope that all Members can get behind this initiative to try to deal with the huge difficulties that exist on this island.