This article is from page 14 of the 2007-06-19 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 14 JPG
FORTY eight per cent more men in Clare die by suicide each year than the national average.
Death by suicide is the number one cause of death among young Irish men with 12.4 men per 100,000 dy- ing this way every year. In Clare the figure is as high as 18.4 men per 100,000.
The death among women in Clare by suicide is half that of the national average with 6.2 women per 100,000 OND Eom HOBIE WE
The earliest figures from the cen- tral statistics office show that just two people of Clare residence died from suicide in 1980.
In 1985 this number had multiplied by more than five bringing the total number of deaths to 11. In 2005 15 people died from suicide in Clare.
Ireland has an alarmingly high rate of suicide – the fifth highest suicide rate in Europe among 15 to 25 year olds.
The highest rate of suicide is found among young men aged under 35 years – accounting for approximately
40 per cent of all Irish suicides. In general, men are reluctant to seek professional advice to help them cope with difficulties.
The often taboo subject of suicide 1s now being tackled by a new national mental health promotion campaign called “Tough Times”.
This campaign aims to reduce the large number of deaths by suicide by raising awareness of the alternative options available to young people in crisis. It will use a combination of television advertising, poster cam- paign, online marketing and pres- ence at festivals and concerts, radio, newspaper and magazine features to communicate its key message; that everyone goes through tough times and answers are out there.
“Tough Times” encourages young people to realise that it’s normal to experience difficult times and that, however small or big the problem, there are help and support options available. It points young people to- wards www.spunout.ie, which pro- vides fact sheets on a range of health and lifestyle issues, signposts users to relevant help services.