Thursday, 5th
July 2018
info@eastcorkjournal.ie
Suicide Prevention Strategy Should Be Taught In Schools
by SEAMUS WHELEHAN
Cork County Council-
lors have backed a call to deliver a nationwide sui- cide and self-harm pre- vention strategy to tackle mental health in schools. The move comes after Cllr Sinead Sheppard received cross party sup- port for her Motion call- ing on the Minister for Health, Simon Harris, to introduce a national pro- gramme helping to iden- tify a young person in distress and, at the same time, supporting them to choose life. The Fine Gael Cllr
told Cork County Coun- cil on Monday that there should be a programme in our Primary and Sec- ondary Schools to sup- port and help pupils who have mental health diffi- culties, or who have sui- cidal thoughts or at risk
of self-harm. She said “Children as
young as 8 years of age are presenting with dif- ficulties. It’s something we need to act upon, and about which we
really
need to raise awareness. We need to show these children within a learn- ing environment that it’s okay not to be okay, that it’s okay to be able to speak about it, and give them the tools that they may need.” Ireland has the fourth
highest suicide rate in Eu- rope among our teenage population, according to a report by UNICEF. The Child Wellbeing
Report published in 2017 shows that the number of teens losing their life by suicide is above the Inter- national average. The rate among Irish
teens is 10.3 between 15 and 19 per 100,000 pop- ulation.
Cllr Kieran McCarthy
said “It beggars belief ” that children under 16 are not given the tools to help their peers who have suicidal thoughts or are at risk of self-harm”. The Independent Cllr said he was aware cases
of “where children
younger than teenag- ers are self-harming in schools. Teachers know it, parents know and their peers know, so there is a great need for assistance for younger people.” Fine Gael Cllr John A Collins said there is need for an integrated ap- proach that also takes so- cial media into account. He said “the
bullying
that is going on is perpet- uated by the availability of phones.” A request has been
sent to the Minister for Health, Simon Harris, for consideration. If you, or anyone you
know, are in distress
please contact any of the following organisations for assistance. - HSE South Free-
phone 24/7 Suicide Pre- vention Helpline: 1800 742 745 - HSE South Free-
phone 24/7 Farm & Ru- ral Stress Helpline: 1800 742 645 - 1life Free-phone Sui-
cide 24/7 Helpline: 1800 247 100 or Text ‘help’ to 51444
HSE South 24/7 Suicide Bereavement Helpline phone: 087 7986944 - Console Free-phone
24/7 helpline 1800 201 890 - Console’s South-
ern Region Office can be
contacted on 021
4274218 or E-mail info@
console.ie
21
Seize the Moment by BRENDA LEGGE
My life is not long enough, For all I want to do, I will never cook the recipe, Ring in red, on pag.62. Never flambé a bison, Make soufflé that risen, Holiday in Crete or Cyprus, Spend a week in Devizes. Never draw up a bucket list, And past wish 2, There’s a whole lot of living, I know I won’t do. And, simply because I don’t have a choice, I’ll never wow the judges, On X Factor or The Voice. At each stage in our life, There are crossroads to choose, Don’t opt for easy, It’s adjacent to lose. Make sure you climb mountains, And follow your dream, There’s no bleaker vista, Than discarded schemes. If you don’t want to end up, As crabby as me, Then write your best seller, Invite a stranger to tea. Leap out of an Aeroplane, Write poetry in reams, And freely indulge in, Your craziest schemes. And when you head off, On your next vacation, Rip up that boarding pass, For the Isle of Procrastination.
@eastcorkjournal / #eastcorkjournal eastcorkjournal Tel: 021 463 8000 • Email:
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www.eastcorkjournal.ie
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