Suicide and Young People: The Case of Northern Ireland

Abstract

Suicides in Northern Ireland are examined in the context of what is known about global and regional trends with respect to gender and age, and change over time. For Northern Ireland, suicide numbers and rates are plotted for 10–24 year olds from 1967 to 2005. Questions are raised about the validity of officially registered suicides in the light of inverse correlations with accidents, and the importance of car crashes as a cause of death for this age group. The increase in suicides during the transition to peace over the past decade is considered in terms of research on mental health and the conflict, and assumptions about the legacies of violence. Among a range of professionals there is a lack of recognition of conflict-related issues and how these impact on children and young people. The article concludes with an agenda for research into self-harm and suicide contagion.

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Mike Tomlinson

Mike Tomlinson is a Senior Lecturer in Social Policy, at the School of Sociology, Social Policy and Social Work, Queen's University Belfast