The growing number of people attempting to take their own lives each year has prompted the establishment of the country's first community-based centre for the prevention of suicide and self-harm.
While latest figures show that 431 people died by suicide last year, the number of people who presented in hospital after deliberately harming themselves is estimated to be about 11,000. Experts say the number of unreported cases means the real figure could be closer to 60,000 cases a year.
Pieta House, a community-based response based in Lucan, aims to fill a gap in existing services by working in conjunction with hospital A&E units and psychiatric services.
The free service, which is funded by private donations, provides one-to-one counselling by psychotherapists for the first week or 10 days. As a person improves, therapy is gradually reduced during the next four to six weeks.
Dr John Connolly, secretary of the Irish Association of Suicidology, said the centre was the first step towards what must must eventually become a national service. "Although services for people who are at risk from suicide and deliberate self-harm have improved somewhat in recent years, there are still enormous gaps in what needs to be provided."
The Health Service Executive (HSE), which has acknowledged that support services need to be improved, says A&E units will be staffed with psychiatric nurses by the end of this year to provide follow-up care to at-risk patients.
Pieta House chief executive Joan Freeman said the service was a community response to a community problem.
As well as providing intensive support to individuals, the service aims to reach out to families and teach them how to deal with a family member in crisis. It is also training local volunteers to provide ongoing family support.
"Our aim is to move the suicidal person away from ideas of suicide as quickly as possible. A community response to a community problem. We provide coping mechanisms for people who are in crisis. Our intensive approach is remarkably effective," Ms Freeman said.
• Pieta House, Old Lucan Road, Lucan, Co Dublin, can be contacted at (01) 601 0000, from 9.30am to 5pm.
• The Samaritans can be contacted 24 hours a day by phoning 1850 609090 or e-mailing jo@samaritans.org
