One in three who seek help from Pieta are children

Pieta, the suicide and self-harm prevention charity, has revealed that more than one in three people supported by the service are children and teenagers - many still in school.

This year, Pieta is urging people in Mayo and across Ireland to sign its No More Silence petition, adding their voice to calls for suicide prevention to be made a national priority. The therapy service has also urged the public to help raise the awareness and funds needed to keep Pieta’s life-saving services free for people of all ages. 

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Overall, Pieta is seeing growing demand for support from younger people in Ireland. More than half of Pieta’s clients are now aged under 25, with over one in three under 18.  Among the under-18s coming to Pieta, 84 percent are experiencing suicidal thoughts and 70% are struggling with self-harm. While these figures highlight the seriousness of the issue, they also show that young people are reaching out for help.

Additionally, more figures were released outlining the need for these free services to raise necessary funds.

Ireland’s national picture:

• Suicide is the leading cause of death for people aged 15 - 34 (Central Statistics Office)
• In 2021, 29 young lives (aged 10 - 19) were lost to suicide (Central Statistics Office)
• Ireland has the 9th highest teen suicide rate in the EU (EU Eurostat)
• Youth suicide rates here are above the international average (UNICEF)
• Every suicide impacts up to 135 people. That means tens of thousands of lives are touched by suicide every year in Ireland. (Berman, 2011; Cerel et al., 2019)

The charity plays an important role in national suicide prevention efforts and in delivering on mental health policy, offering an accessible, nationwide service with qualified therapists available by phone and in person to anyone in distress. 

Stephanie Manahan, Chief Executive Officer at Pieta explained that the figures show that the services must be there for them. 

“Last year alone, 2,433 children and teenagers came to Pieta, receiving more than 17,800 hours of free therapy. These services are free and life-saving."

She went on to outline what this year' s campaign aims to emphasise to anyone looking to avail of the service.

“This year, we are putting a particular emphasis on the children and teenagers in our society who are struggling with their mental health. We are calling on people to add their voice by signing our petition to make suicide prevention a national priority, and to help us maintain these services free for every child and young person who needs them,

“Our 'No More Silence' campaign is an important opportunity to reach out to people of all ages who might be thinking about suicide or self-harming, and to reassure them that it is okay to reach out and ask for help.”

How to get help 

If you are thinking of self-harming, suicide, or have lost someone to suicide, you can access support from Pieta’s professional therapy and counselling:   

• online at Pieta.ie   
• over the phone by calling 0818 111 126  

If more immediate crisis support is required, you can contact the Pieta Crisis Helpline 24/7 at 1800 247 247 or text HELP to 51444  

• Pieta’s Crisis Helpline is staffed by therapists 365 days a year to offer immediate support over the phone.      

For more information on Pieta’s No More Silence campaign and to sign the petition, visit Pieta.ie/SpeakOut