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David Cheskin/PA Wire/Press Association Images

The number of people self-harming in Ireland is continuing to rise

A conference will be held next month to raise awareness of how to tackle self-harm.

PARENTS AND TEACHERS have been urged to educate themselves around the subject of self-harm, as figures show that the number of people harming themselves is rising every year.

Latest figures from the National Suicide Research Foundation for 2015 showed that self-harming was on the rise in Ireland.

The rate of self-harm incidents among women and girls in Ireland was 222 per 100,000 in 2015 – up 3% on the previous year.

The figures also show that the self-harm rate among men and boys was 186 per 100,000 in 2015 – a 1% increase on the previous year, and a 15% increase since 2007.

The peak rate for females was in the 15-19 years age group at 718 per 100,000, whereas the peak rate among males was in 20-24 year-olds at 553 per 100,000.

Self-harm is defined as:

Self-injury or self-poisoning irrespective of the apparent purpose of the act.

Acts of deliberate self-harm are more common in young people, with research showing it affects one in every five to ten adolescents.

They can also be a significant indicator of someone taking their own life. A 1999 study in the British Journal of Psychiatry looking at 174 suicides of people under the age of 25 found that 80% of people had self-harmed in the past year.

A separate 2014 study found that despite 40-60% of people who die by suicide having self-harmed in the past, the issue of how to care for people who do self-harm is not well understood.

“Alarming”

In light of these figures, St Patrick’s Mental Health Services and suicide prevention charity Pieta House have issued a warning to parents, school-teachers and caregivers to educate themselves on the dangers of self-harm.

“The increase in rates of self-harm among adolescents over the last number of years is worrying and yet we’re just not talking about it as a society,” said Paul Gilligan, CEO of St Patrick’s.

Dr Paul Surgenor, director of research with Pieta House, described the rate of self-harm in Ireland as “alarming”.

“The figures from the National Research Foundation are alarming but what is even more concerning  is the fact that these figures are only based on hospital presentations,” he said.

It has been estimated that only 10% of adolescents who had self-harmed had actually presented to hospital.

A self-harm awareness conference organised by both groups will be held next month on 1 March (Self-Injury Awareness Day).

Organisers say the conference will offer a mix of practical workshops and presentations relevant to teaching staff, community workers, parents and students.

“We hope that the conference on 1 March will give parents and carers the skills and confidence to initiate the conversation and support their young people in the move from self-harm to self-care,” said Surgenor.

If you need to talk, contact:

  • Samaritans 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org
  • National Suicide Helpline 1800 247 247 – (suicide prevention, self-harm, bereavement)
  • Aware 1800 80 48 48 (depression, anxiety)
  • Pieta House 01 601 0000 or email mary@pieta.ie – (suicide, self-harm)
  • Teen-Line Ireland 1800 833 634 (for ages 13 to 19)
  • Childline 1800 66 66 66 (for under 18s)

More information can be found on St Patrick’s website  

Read: Darkness Into Light: 120,000 people take part in annual suicide prevention event

Read: Pieta House teams up with farming group to highlight suicide among men in rural areas

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20 Comments
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    Mute See My Vest
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    Apr 6th 2015, 6:06 PM

    Any of those ads that portray men as incompetent buffoons make the short list or are we sticking to one way sexism as per journal usual?

    376
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    Mute Richard Cynical
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    Apr 6th 2015, 6:21 PM

    I love hearing about women banging on about equal rights, it’s the most self centred argument going. Women get full rights when it comes to kids and men get nothing women get 6 mts meternity leave men get nothing

    254
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    Mute Plantation Watch
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    Apr 6th 2015, 6:46 PM

    Also they live longer and dont do the mist dangerous jobs in society.

    118
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    Mute B Collins
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    Apr 6th 2015, 6:49 PM

    Richard, most women who campaign for gender equality argue vehemently for paternity leave/shared parental leave because it’s the biggest factor in reducing the salary gap and creating a more level playing field both at home and at work. I don’t agree with ads that depict men as incompetent buffoons because they’re unfair and not accurate, but I DO think depictions of women at/under men’s feet, purchasing of wives or allusions to gang rape, are much more degrading and send a more sinister message. Just my two cents.

    299
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    Mute Ryan Anth
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    Apr 6th 2015, 6:56 PM

    The mens feet one is stupid – the one with the foot on the throat ought to have been banned- there are NO allusions to gang rape in any of those ads up there.

    74
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    Mute Richard Cynical
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    Apr 6th 2015, 6:56 PM

    I genuinely think if women got equal rights they would shij a brick and demand things go back the way they were.

    51
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    Mute Sheik Yahbouti
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    Apr 6th 2015, 7:00 PM

    I see your friends call you Dick. Entirely understandable.

    143
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    Mute Richard Cynical
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    Apr 6th 2015, 7:05 PM

    Sheik, I just checked out your twitter as you did mine 3 followers, you have no friends!

    31
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    Mute molly coddled
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    Apr 6th 2015, 7:12 PM

    Trust me Richard, if you ever push out an 8lb bowling ball through your dick you’re going to need 6 months off work too :/

    231
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    Mute TheDoctor
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    Apr 6th 2015, 7:17 PM

    I don’t get the gang rape reference in the D&G ad. An orgy maybe, but no rape.

    91
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    Mute Ryan Anth
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    Apr 6th 2015, 7:19 PM

    Its easy to click a red thumb not so easy to construct an argument – nobody has yet been able to defend the stupid notion that some of these ads are sexist – some are – but most are not, instead the discussion is being dragged off onto things nobody really disagrees on like equal pay, shows there is no credible argument here.

    This is a screenshot from an ad using male models:
    http://postimg.org/image/7n6wbta7b/
    Nobody would say these girls are dragging the guy off to be raped would they? Why because he has a smile on his face and so do they but they make the absurd claim with the ads above despite there being nothing in the ad to suggest it – it’s no less absurd to suggest it above than in this ad ^

    42
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    Mute Richard Cynical
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    Apr 6th 2015, 7:20 PM

    Molly women are pregnant for 9 mths for a man he has to hear about it for the rest of his life, billions of women have given birth you are designed to give birth, it’s what you do if you didn’t you would have very little to complain about. If you want equal rights it comes as a full package you can’t pick and choose.

    34
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    Mute molly coddled
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    Apr 6th 2015, 7:53 PM

    Well, I must have a serious design flaw as my first ripped the hole off me, took over 3 months to recover, couldn’t walk straight for quite a while after that, believe me I would have loved if my husband could have claimed more than a few days paternity leave (such as it was 30 years ago), instead i had to bring my mum down to help, so yea, I’m in favour of equality and after 3 months of the mum in law living with us so was the hubby.

    117
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    Mute Catherine Mill
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    Apr 6th 2015, 8:37 PM

    I agree. Maybe women have the first baby and men the second. How equal would that be?

    58
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    Mute Luke D
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    Apr 6th 2015, 10:16 PM

    An article about sexist ads that doesn’t have any involving sexism against men. Considering how men are portrayed in ads that’s pretty sexist.

    34
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    Mute Wayne Kerr
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    Apr 6th 2015, 10:21 PM

    Ok Catherine, you go first. I’ll time ya!

    9
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    Mute Buy Bring The Money
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    Apr 7th 2015, 11:05 AM

    Men didn’t carry a heavy living thing inside them for 9 months, with the last few months being strenuous so I doubt men deserve 6 months off because their wife popped one out. Any excuse for weeks off I guess.

    4
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    Mute Philip Cooper
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    Apr 6th 2015, 6:15 PM

    All of the ads are rectangular, which is blatantly anti-circle.

    Shame on you the journal.

    374
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    Mute China Photo Daily
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    Apr 6th 2015, 6:53 PM

    The Tayto park radio ad where the husband is depicted as a child? Typical of many modern ads that show men as buffoons, especially popular in Ireland

    295
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    Mute Derek Mahon
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    Apr 6th 2015, 11:38 PM

    Or the Travel comparison site, can’t remember the exact name, where the ad depicts the man as a monkey-like eejit while the ‘genius’ woman discovers that he could’ve just used their site.

    77
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    Mute kevin connolly
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    Apr 6th 2015, 6:33 PM

    I just showed this to the wife as I was handing her a beer. I then went back to letting her rest her stiletto on my throat. Send help now please…

    238
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    Mute John O'Neill
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    Apr 6th 2015, 7:28 PM

    After reading this I want, shoes, beer and wimen… in that order…

    52
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    Mute Keelan O'neill
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    Apr 6th 2015, 6:25 PM

    Is it my turn this week lads? Right here I go:

    “What about the Diet Coke ad?”

    134
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    Mute Jimmy Jim-Jim
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    Apr 6th 2015, 6:30 PM

    What about it?

    28
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    Mute Ryan Anth
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    Apr 6th 2015, 6:37 PM

    or every Abercrombie & Fitch ad that shows every inch of the male models body other than right before his dick (as low down his V as it can possibly get while the shorts are still staying on – without trunks underneath I might add) and just above his knees…not a peep about that..whos job is literally to intimidate non goodlooking people from crossing the door haha never hear about that…nope… .because it’s OK for guys to be sexual, that’s the ironic message feminists (who are there to supposedly empower and free women) send us – just not for women.

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    Mute MGrey
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    Apr 6th 2015, 7:40 PM

    1000s of ads exploiting the female body lads; time to suck it up.

    63
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    Mute Áine Foley
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    Apr 7th 2015, 4:28 AM

    **or every Abercrombie & Fitch ad that shows every inch of the male models body other than right before his dick**

    You don’t have to keep staring at them for hours, in fairness.

    16
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    Mute dearg doom
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    Apr 7th 2015, 11:44 AM

    We don’t like the Diet Coke ads. They’re embarassing!

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    Mute Ben Dawkins
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    Apr 6th 2015, 6:09 PM

    Where can we get a bottle of that vodka?

    96
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    Mute Trish Ryan
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    Apr 6th 2015, 6:28 PM

    the burnt beer ad is funny!sorry bra burners!

    67
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    Mute little jim
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    Apr 6th 2015, 7:02 PM

    And he’s being so kind to her, just can’t win sometimes.

    32
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    Mute Ryan Anth
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    Apr 6th 2015, 6:29 PM

    (Could not post this the first time…odd…will try again)
    Ok..as always with these things I’m going to risk getting my head torn off by putting forth the controversial opinion – so here goes …..on the two group sex implied ads…

    The women don’t look distressed at all they look like they’re having a great time – so maybe they’re just messing around OR maybe they’re beautiful people who just wanna get it on with some group s–x ….that does happen among the beautiful people sometimes shocking as that may be to some…and if they want to….so?
    The real sexism here is suggesting that any woman who is in any way sexually adventurous must be a w__re who should get back to being a ‘correct’ socially acceptable lady who conforms to societies expectations – hardly a statement of burning feminist freedom is it? In both ads the sexism is on the person saying it’s gang rape or wrong, clearly projecting their own morality onto someone else and saying anyone who does not conform to what they would do could not POSSIBLY be doing it willingly.

    62
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    Mute Glen
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    Apr 6th 2015, 6:12 PM

    Good old divide and conquer tactics.

    44
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    Mute Antrim/Kurdistan
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    Apr 6th 2015, 6:14 PM

    Can’t disagree with any of them to be honest

    33
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    Mute Dave barrett
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    Apr 6th 2015, 7:35 PM

    Jesus lads . When they let the women out of the snug and into the bar we were fecked.

    32
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    Mute Niamh Dempsey
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    Apr 6th 2015, 7:51 PM

    Tut tut back to your man cave lol

    16
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    Mute Deco James Connolly
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    Apr 6th 2015, 8:02 PM

    Thats sexist because its a gender specific cave .

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    Mute Niamh Dempsey
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    Apr 6th 2015, 8:35 PM

    So is snug in context of which you referred to it touché !!,

    16
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    Mute Dave barrett
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    Apr 6th 2015, 9:47 PM

    Ugh ugh ugh

    3
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    Mute Dave barrett
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    Apr 6th 2015, 9:48 PM

    Hey. It’s my cave. I’m fussy who I drag in there.

    4
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    Mute Niamh Dempsey
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    Apr 6th 2015, 7:07 PM

    Shocking but you just have to open any fashion magazine, weekend supplement of newspaper, x factor (if you can sing leave clothes on shouldn’t need any distractions) or music video etc to see how sexist and sexualised women are depicted. It’s women’s fault too for allowing this. But it’s more society pressure in general. Extreme sexist photos in these adverts confirms sad albeit unoriginal adage that sex sells.

    27
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    Mute Bert McCann
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    Apr 6th 2015, 6:53 PM

    What about those 2 stupid ads for Tayto. 1 showing the bloke’s bulge and the other showing the girls knickers through her tights…come on, if that isn’t sexist (and completely juvenile) I don’t know what is. I can’t believe Tayto get away with that one.

    25
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    Mute Jimmy Jim-Jim
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    Apr 6th 2015, 6:26 PM

    Identity politics, because sometimes the rest of the world isn’t Balkanised enough.

    24
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    Mute Deco James Connolly
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    Apr 6th 2015, 7:13 PM

    More revisionist guilt tripping, women have every opportunity that men do today but many of them choose to waste their education protesting against imaginary boogey men instead of studying .

    21
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