Catherine Noone (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I support Senator Humphrey's comments on breastfeeding, which is an issue I have raised in the House on a number of occasions. It is a vital issue for the health of our young people.I agree entirely with Senator Lynn Ruane's comments on photoshopping and filtering, and I think it might work in the context of a debate on Internet safety and teenagers using the Internet because it is an issue I raised around self worth with Instagram and Facebook and the perfect world that people portray online that is really affecting young people's perceptions of themselves. It could be a very interesting debate to have.

The annual report of the National Office for Suicide Prevention was launched yesterday. It was stated that while the number of suicides has stabilised in recent years, there is still an alarming number of people taking their own lives and self harming. I came across an interesting model that has been introduced in Michigan in the United States called a zero suicide model, which has been introduced in hospitals and clinics, whereby once people present themselves in a clinic or hospital, even if it is for a broken ankle or some sort of a virus, they are assessed by being asked a few simple questions, which would be indicators as to the state of their mental health and if any issues are identified they are then referred on. It is just part of the overall process. According to UNICEF, Ireland has the fourth highest rate of teen suicide in the European Union. In recent years there has been a dramatic reduction in the number of suicides among mental health patients, lowering well below the national average in Michigan. In just over a decade, the implementation of this model has resulted in a drop in suicide by mental health patients from 89 people in 100,000 to 16 people in 100,000. That is a very significant reduction and many health insurance companies have given it their backing. I think it is a very interesting proposal. By assessing all patients as having potential mental health risk, whatever their reasons for being in hospital, suicide prevention can receive a significant boost. If the Minister of Sate with responsibility for mental health, Deputy Jim Daly comes to the House, this would be an interesting aspect of mental health to discuss with him.