Important not to sensationalise suicide

Dr. Vincent Russell is a consultant psychiatrist in Cavan and a few years back he collaborated with clinical psychologist, Paul Gaffney, on a study of the incidence of suicide among young men in East Cavan. According to Dr. Russell, the objective of the study was to gain an understanding of the problems faced by young men as they saw themselves. The young men surveyed were in the 16 to 24 age group, while others spoken with included teachers and adults who had contact with young men. The study was undertaken against the backdrop of an increased level of suicide among young men over the past two decades. Dr. Russell makes the point that the increased suicide rate seems to have come before the recession and that there was a significant increase in the number of young men taking their lives during the Celtic Tiger years. "There are a number of theories as to why this was so; indeed there are more theories than clear-cut answers. One theory is that maybe young men find it harder in society in general and that the position of young men changed rapidly during that period in relation to their own status in society - in relation to expectations and pressures," he says. Dr. Russell explains that this increase in the level of suicide among young men occurred at a time when there was very high employment rates and when there was a great buzz in the Irish economy. "Young men may have felt that they were not meeting the standards they set for themselves and maybe felt they were a failure, especially if they looked around and judged themselves against the apparent success of others," he says. The situation of full employment and great material success that were characteristic of the Celtic Tiger years contrasted to the '70s and '80s when there were huge numbers drawing the dole and everyone was roughly at the same level in society, he suggests. The Cavan consultant psychiatrist also referred to a study undertaken by Dr. Declan Bedford, which dealt with the incidence of self harm among young males. It was found that the break up of a personal relationship frequently preceded the case of a young male taking his life, something that was contrary to previous trends when it was the young woman who was most emotionally affected by the ending of a relationship. "In more recent years there are a lot more hurt young men coming in who are finding it hard to cope with separation and break-up. Also when young men contemplate self harm in such situations their actions can be more lethal," states Dr. Russell. According to the doctor, the surge in alcohol use during the Celtic Tiger years was also a factor in the increase in self harm with alcohol involved in up to 50% of cases of self inflicted injury. "It is a big factor; alcohol works as a depressant chemical in the aftermath of drinking, it pulls you down and it also acts as a dis-inhibiting agent," he says. Coming up to the present era, Dr. Russell reveals that the number of referrals from GPs involving financial stress has greatly increased. "We are seeing more people who are feeling overwhelmed, distressed and agitated as a result of financial pressure and debt who are presenting at hospital in the current situation," he says. Speaking of the impact of suicide on close family members, Dr. Russell states that after the initial shock those close relatives develop a resilience and come to realise that there are others like them in the same boat. Helping the bereaved to overcome any regrets they may have and to work their way through their traumatic loss is important. Being able to acknowledge that this has happened to many other families offers comfort and he praises the great work performed by bereavement support groups such as Aware, Living Links and Console - many such groups having been initiated by families who were bereaved in such tragic circumstances. "It is very humbling for professionals like myself that those people had the courage to take the initiative to help others in similar situations," says the Cavan consultant psychiatrist. Asked if the decline in religious faith was a factor in the increase in the levels of suicide, Dr. Russell acknowledges that it is one theory but he points out that suicide levels have increased in countries such as England, which didn't have as high a religious observance as we have. "We need to be careful about latching on to any theories. We need to be careful for the sake of families not to over identify with specific causes. Families can feel stigmatised and we need to be a little bit sensitive about over-stepping the mark and over-identifying specific causes in any given case - suicide is multi-factoral. In most instances, there is often a complex interaction between social and health factors," he says. Dr. Russell urges care by the media in reporting on suicide and refers to the guidelines offered by the Irish Association of Suicideology. "The manner in which suicide is reported in the media can improve or dis-improve clusters or copycat suicides. It is good not to sensationalise it or to highlight details of how an act was committed. "Of more help is to focus on the pain it causes bereaved families in general and the loss to society as a whole," advises Dr. Russell.