Loneliness and personal issues can leave individuals struggling with thoughts of suicide
Pieta House, which campaigns against self-harm, is calling on people to extend the goodwill of the Christmas season to the New Year when people may be feeling down.
Pieta House chief operations officer Cindy O’Connor told The Irish Catholic that Christmas generally saw a drop in the number of calls because people reached out to others, but there was a sense of isolation for depressed people during the rest of the year.
Ms O’Connor said there was a “very high rate” of 26-44 year old men conacting Pieta House seeking therapy to cope with suicidal thoughts. She said that relationship break-ups and unemployment were the main reasons why men considered suicide.
“Men don’t usually make the call themselves. It is normally the women in their lives who phone for them. Men are far more vulnerable to suicide than women. Once we get them attending services, they get on very well,” said Ms O’Connor.
Contact Pieta House on 01 601 0000 or www.pietahouse.ie