Dark side of Celtic Tiger as suicide claims 450 lives a year – Neville

-Young people at most risk, suicide chief cause of death in under 25s
-Govt must demonstrate political will to tackle tragic epidemic

Fine Gael Deputy Health Spokesperson, Dan Neville TD, has today (Monday) called for political will from Government to reduce the numbers of people dying by suicide each year. Deputy Neville said that social change and increased materialism were bringing about an identity crisis in young people and that while the Celtic Tiger had undoubtedly brought many benefits it also brought many new challenges, for adolescents in particular.

“It must be asked why, at a time of greatest prosperity do so many people feel in such despair that each year an average of 450 take their lives and in excess of 10,000 present at Accident and Emergency having attempted to take their lives? Why in particular are so many of your young people in such crisis that so many decide to end their live? Ireland has the fifth highest suicide rate in the EU among 15 to 24 year olds and suicide is the chief cause of death for those under 25 here. This dark side of the Celtic Tiger is practically ignored.

“It is increasingly difficult for a young person to find a meaningful identity. The people in Ireland that are valued are those that are successful, who are winners, who are in third level education and are high earners. People who are not in this category struggle to find their identity and may experience despair. Six times more young males take their own lives than females. The critical issue for the male adolescent is to derive self-esteem and personal meaning from their identity and position in society.

“Now issues of self and identity are linked to materialism, consumerism and globalisation. Increased materialism has led to weaker social ties and a decline in neighbourliness. We live in an age of uncertainty, an age of anxiety, an age of narcissism. The euro is worshipped. We have lost our way and we don’t know what true value is now. Who we are has come to be determined by what we can buy. The overwhelming message being broadcast is that you are only as good as what you can buy. The constant bombardment with ‘americanised’ images and values can be seen daily, while at the same time traditional cultural icons and role models are ridiculed and reviled.

“Previous generations had a higher dependence and belief on the pillars of society to advise and guide them. The early part of the 21st century is replete with images of distrust, from clerical abuse to political scandal. Doctors kill, politicians are corrupt and businesses bribe and cheat.

“Adolescence is a creation of modern society. In earlier times, individuals moved from being a child to being an adult with no stage of transition. When resources were scarce and individuals had to contend with daily survival in the basic sense, there was no time for adolescence to ‘discover themselves’. An individual was either a child and dependent or an adult and providing for themselves.

“The emergence of adolescence has offered psychological time and space for an individual to consider their future ‘when they grow up’ and offers limitless choices. It has enormous positive advantages in that young people are given an opportunity to choose their own career. There is the opportunity to decide and influence one’s own success. The negative is that the adolescent is also free to fail. Adolescence is a dangerous mix, a time of both opportunity and pressure to succeed.

“If we were left in doubt about the impact of such uncertainty and distrust on our young people, the suicide figures for Ireland over the past 10 years indicate that something maladaptive and unhealthy is taking place.

“Nobody disputes the benefits which have been brought about by the Celtic Tiger but there is a dark side which cannot be ignored. There is an urgent need for comprehensive research into how we can address the complex issues which lead to so many of our young people, especially our young men, taking their own lives.”

*Deputy Dan Neville is President of the Irish Association of Suicidology