Suicide rate in Kildare higher than national average
Photo is for illustrative purposes only
IMPROVEMENTS to mental health services and a greater awareness of existing services in Kildare are being sought by local councillors.
At the most recent meeting of Kildare County Council, cllrs Peggy O’Dwyer and Chris Pender motioned that the council invited the Kildare Mental Health Association to give the council “a briefing on mental health services available throughout the county.”
The council agreed that they would extend an invite to the Kildare Mental Health Association to come in.
Cllr Behan noted that the interagency group Trauma Informed Kildare are holding a “Compassion in Action” event in Killashee hotel on 21 April, which is aimed at improving understanding of trauma.
Speaking to the , cllr Pender gave some context to the motion that he and cllr O’Dwyer brought forward.
”We have to want better and do better (with regards to mental health) but we need to find that starting point. So it’s why we asked the Kildare Mental Health Association to come in because they’re under Mental Health Ireland. They’re kind of like a community service in that they’re a non-governmental organisation, but they would interact with multiple different (organisations and bodies) – so they’ll interact with community services, they’ll interact with the HSE, I would hope they would interact with drug services and stuff like that. So it’s about trying to get a grip on as much of it as possible.”
Cllr Pender, who has been involved in mental health organisations for many years, spoke on the issues in Kildare with regards to mental heath:
“We are higher on so many ratios, in terms of we’re higher than the national average for suicide. We’re higher than the national average for self-harm. We’re higher than the national average for suicidal ideation. So like, across the board, when it comes to mental health issues, we are higher than the rest of the country.”
According to the most recent CSO figures, 14 people died by suicide in Kildare in 2023.
The Newbridge councillor went on to say that he doesn’t have a full picture of the services available across the county outside of his locality which is why he, along with cllr O’Dwyer, brought the motion forward. He pointed out that there are community and voluntary groups providing mental health supports, but this is “not generally recorded”.
Cllr Pender detailed that as director of the regional drugs alcohol task force of Substance Use Regional Forum (SURF) he has encountered the issue of lack of support for individuals with dual diagnosis. He noted situations where mental health services will not support an individual with mental health issues due to their drug addictions, and vice versa.
Another issue the councillor noted is the difficulty many face in accessing a GP, which is often an important step for those seeking mental health care.
Asked about Kildare County Council’s role with regards to mental health, cllr Pender said that the council needs to step up but is not sure where their role fits in.
He noted that the Local Community Development Committee comes under the council, with there being HSE representation on that committee.
He said that the county needs to have a mental health plan to plan infrastructure around mental health, and there is a need to “get people back engaging in their communities, interacting with their communities”.
Cllr Pender said that he intends to engage with the council’s Healthy Ireland coordinator with regards to rolling out mental health-based measures.
If you have been affected by this article, please contact The Samaritans on freephone 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.ie
