Written answers

Wednesday, 15 April 2015

Department of Health

Suicide Prevention

Photo of Derek NolanDerek Nolan (Galway West, Labour)
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476. To ask the Minister for Health if he will make funding available to provide suicide prevention courses in post-primary schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14029/15]

Photo of Kathleen LynchKathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Students’ safety is of immense importance and great care must be taken when deciding on what programmes to be offered within the school setting. Programmes that aim to reduce suicidal behaviour among young people might work for some students but may have an adverse effect on others. A large number of suicide awareness programmes have been developed internationally for use in school settings to address the problem of suicidal behaviour within this cohort. However, there is inconclusive evidence of the efficacy of these programmes and, in the absence of such conclusive evidence, many countries have recommended that schools avoid suicide awareness projects with students. This view has also been incorporated into the Department of Education and Skills Well-Being in Post Primary Schools: Guidelines for Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention.The Guidelines recommend that the safeTALK suicide awareness programme should be targeted at school staff and should not be delivered to students.

Research findings suggest that effective mental health promotion programmes in schools can produce long-term benefits for young people. This is achieved by putting systems and policies in place to make the school a safe and supportive environment.

The research evidence also suggests that the aims of suicide prevention in school-aged groups is best met by engaging in programmes which serve to enhance the factors which protect against suicide (e.g. problem solving, good coping skills, communication skills, self-esteem etc) and reduce the risk factors associated with suicide (e.g. depression, anxiety, poor social networks, low self-esteem etc). The work of schools should be around building resilience so that young people have the skills to deal with adversity when they encounter it. The Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) curriculum taught in post-primary schools has become a vital way to achieve this. Emotional health is set within the context of the SPHE programme.

The Department of Health and the HSE are currently finalising a new National Strategic Framework to Reduce Suicide for the period 2015 – 2020. The Framework, which is expected to be completed shortly, will seek to broaden the response to suicide risk across the health sector, agencies and Government departments. In this regard the Department of Health and the National Office for Suicide Prevention are working closely with the Department of Education and Skills to identify actions and outcomes around suicide prevention for the school sector, to be included in the new Framework.

Having regard to the above, I do not intend to provide funding for suicide prevention courses in post primary schools.

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