by Andrew Carey
THE Traveller community in the Mid West was plunged into shock last week when two teenagers took their own lives within hours of each other.
Last Friday, a 15-year-old Limerick girl was laid to rest after she had taken her own life and her 17-year-old boyfriend was found dead near his Co Tipperary home after the news broke of his girlfriend’s death.
This is the second time that such a tragedy has hit the girl’s family. Her brother died in similar circumstances while two men from the boy’s extended family had also taken their own lives in recent years.
Limerick Fine Gael TD Dan Neville, who is president of the Irish Association of Suicidology, expressed his condolences and said it was so “tragic that the lives of these young people ended so quickly”.
Pointing out that suicide rates were higher among young people, and among members of the Traveller community, Deputy Neville said that, as in other sectors of society, a stigma towards mental ill health still existed in the Traveller community.
With literacy issues still prevalent in parts of the community, the Limerick TD said “all associated services need to change their thinking. Those service providers need to adapt and target information on suicide and mental help to the Traveller community”.
“We need to be innovative in how we get the necessary help across to all strata of society but in particular we need to look at the manner and points of delivery where members of the Traveller community access State services and access that information.
Suicide rates among Travellers are three to seven times higher than in the settled population, according to the most recent statistics.
“Not all Traveller children go to secondary school but they go to primary school and maybe that is an avenue that could be explored”, added the Limerick TD.
Support services include the Samaritans at 1850-609090 and the 1Life suicide prevention helpline at 1800-247 100.
