Worrying rise in suicide rate in North Tipperary

THERE has been a worrying rise in the suicide rate among young men in North Tipperary, a County Councillor told a recent meeting.

Cllr Seamus Morris told the February meeting of Nenagh Municipal District that over the last three or four months “there has been a very noticeable increase in the number of these tragic deaths, each one casting an air of gloom and overwhelming sadness in each area where it happens. All of these suicides have been young men. It is very concerning and I believe that a number of these tragic deaths could have been avoided if we had the right mental health care system in place.”

The Councillor pointed out that at the moment the mental health care system in the county is below par. “If someone is not feeling well mentally, it can take three or four days before a Doctor will see them. This leads to frustration and, feeling desperate, they may decide to go to A&E. Sometimes when they arrive in A&E it is too loud, too bright, too brash for them. Feeling depressed and very sensitive, the A&E environment jars with them.

“I think it's obvious that we are deficient in this very important part of the health service. The HSE thinks we are well served in Tipperary when it comes to mental health but we are not.”

Cllr Louise Morgan Walsh said she works as a nurse in Nenagh Hospital and is very conscious of this problem. She said we don't talk enough about mental health. This lack of dialogue is a huge problem, “especially among young men, who don't like to open up and talk about their fears and worries.”

Cllr Michael O'Meara commented that he thinks mental health is problematic in rural areas among men over 50. “Depression and suicide are indeed big problems in North Tipperary,” he remarked. “They are two issues which seem to me to have become worse in the last couple of years. I have no hard facts or figures to back this up, but anecdotally these problems really seem to be coming up more and more. I see it as a major issue.

“We councillors are at the coalface, meeting and chatting with a lot of members of the public every day, and what I am noticing more and more is that middle-aged and elderly men, in particular, are raising these topics during our conversations. I could be chatting to them about various regular, practical problems such as the condition of a road or footpath, but they veer the conversation into the subject of depression or suicide. They could start telling me about various problems in their life, perhaps a physical health problem, or a family problem.”

Cllr O'Meara said it was obvious to every councillor that a significant number of middle-aged and elderly men are suffering from mental health issues; and rural isolation and loneliness had a part to play in this. “There are some middle-aged and elderly men who are living in isolated rural locations and they might speak to very few people every week, perhaps just a few hellos to the postman or to someone walking by. Perhaps they are widowers and they have no one to really connect to.”

He added that he sees the problem presenting itself more often in the farming community. “By its nature farming can be a lonely occupation. The work is hard, the hours are long, and the farmers are getting very little if any social outlet. I've also noticed that since Covid some people have been slow to get back out into their communities. Social outlets are so important.” The councillor said he knew a number of elderly men who committed suicide in recent months.

Cllr Pamela Quirke O'Meara pointed out that, “Many people are reeling after these tragedies in our communities in recent months. We should wholeheartedly support any means at our disposal to reduce the number of tragedies."

A member of the Council Executive said his Council department is going to publicise the mental services which are available for people in the county.