July 1, 2011
Mental Health
Call for specialised counselling for separated fathers
Irish Examiner (Tuesday, 28 June 2011)
More specialised counselling services are urgently needed for fathers experiencing separation, many of whom experience mental problems as a result of the strain, according to a new academic study carried out for a dissertation at the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Institute of Ireland. It shows that men who have availed of counselling often know more about aspects of family law and their rights within the system, than those who have not.
Mental Health Service
2,500 young people on waiting list for mental health services
Irish Examiner (Tuesday, 28 June 2011)
The were 2,517 young people on a waiting list to access mental health services at the end of the first quarter of this year — 346 of whom have been waiting for more than a year. Despite an initiative to tackle the issue of waiting lists within the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services to ensure 70% of new cases an initial appointment within three months, the latest figures show that numbers on the waiting list has slightly increased by 0.7% from the end of 2010, and those waiting more than 12 months has also slightly increased by 2% in the first quarter of this year.
Suicide
Drop in number of suicides to 8% welcomed by research group
Irish Times (Thursday, 30 June 2011)
The number of deaths by suicide recorded in the State fell to 486 last year, an 8 per cent drop on 2009.Figures published by the Central Statistics Office yesterday show 386 men and 100 women took their own lives in 2010. The National Suicide Research Foundation welcomed a “levelling off” in the number of deaths by suicide after steep increases in 2008 and 2009.
Boy among 11 suicides in city area since April
Irish Examiner (Thursday, 30 June 2011)
There have been at least 11 deaths by suicide in areas around Cork city since April — including a 15-year-old boy. Senator John Gilroy, who worked as a psychiatric nurse for 20 years said it was shocking that in just three months, 11 people had taken their lives in such a small area. All but one of those were men.
Drugs and drink key factors in North's suicide rate, study finds
Irish Times (Thursday, 30 June 2011)
Drink and drugs were significant contributors to the incidence of suicide and homicide in Northern Ireland, a study carried out by researchers from the University of Manchester has found. The independent study also found that suicide rates were rising in Northern Ireland while they are falling in Britain.
Arthritis sufferers are twice as likely to feel suicidal
Irish Examiner (Thursday, 30 June 2011)
People with arthritis are being urged not to suffer in silence as research reveals that they are twice as likely to feel suicidal than those with healthy joints. A study of almost 4,000 people found that 5.6% of people with arthritis had suicidal thoughts compared with just 2.4% of those not suffering from the chronic condition.
Suicide Prevention
'Papageno effect'can save Lives
Irish Independent (Monday, 27 June 2011)
Many countries have now devised guidelines for the media to follow when reporting such cases. These have come from the realisation that the manner in which suicide is covered might in itself be a catalyst for suicide in some vulnerable people. Evidence is now emerging that for individuals in crisis, the manner of reporting might have a positive or negative influence on their decision.
