Counsellors say suicide debate is 'flawed' [IrishTimes]
- Published: 26 September 2010
TWO SUICIDE prevention campaigners have described the current debate on suicide as “flawed and short-sighted” and have called for a new approach to the issue.
Dr Tony Byrne and Sr Kathleen Maguire, who run suicide prevention courses for the Awareness Education Office, said suicide rates would continue to rise until the root causes, such as bullying and alcohol abuse, were addressed.
Figures published earlier this year revealed a 24 per cent increase in the number of people dying by suicide last year, up from 424 in 2008 to 527 in 2009.
“We are getting nowhere if we don’t look at the root causes. Is it the easy option to avoid this?” Dr Byrne said. “We have been involved in community awareness programmes on suicide prevention and grief for the past 16 years, and we are therefore surprised at the flawed and short-sighted approach of the current debates on the problem of suicide.”
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
