A TD yesterday expressed concern at a tendency among young people to treat suicide lightheartedly. It appeared that the taking of one's life was considered an option "when you are in trouble", Mr Paul McGrath (FG), chairman, told a meeting of the Oireachtas Committee on the Family.
Young people spoke flippantly of someone "topping themselves". Suicide as a way out was now somehow acceptable in certain quarters. Mr McGrath hoped the secondary schools campaign by the AWARE organisation would go a long way towards changing this.
The committee heard a presentation by the organisation on the effects of depression on families.
Founded in 1985 to inform the public on depressive illness and its treatment, AWARE has launched a "Beat the Blues" campaign at secondary school level. Its chairman, Dr Patrick McKeon, consultant psychiatrist at St Patrick's Hospital, Dublin, told the committee the most cost effective way of improving public understanding of depression was at this level. Having young depression sufferers address their peers on their experiences had a telling effect.
He added that 80 per cent of depressions responded to treatment within two or three weeks. The illness was nothing to be embarrassed about.