Suicide Risks and Psychotherapy

Suicide Risks and Psychotherapy
Letters Page:Irish Times 13/08/2007
Madam,
I read with great interest the article on post-natal depression by the Irish Association of Suicidology, in response to the latest of a number of family murder/suicides (Irish Times, July 17, 2007)
The association mentioned that psychiatric services are, for many people, neither user-friendly nor readily accessible’,
Ireland urgently needs a fully funded national psychotherapy service which would be both an effective and cost effective way to treat a wide range of Ireland’s current mental health problems.

In the meantime, the Irish Council for Psychotherapy maintains a register of over 1,000 qualified highly trained psychotherapists, who are both accessible, ‘user-friendly’, and skilled in dealing with the emotional disturbances so often tragically highlighted recently. Unfortunately, owing to the lack of a public service, the majority are in private practice.

Yours etc.,
DERVAL RYAN
Vice-Chair,
Irish Council for Psychotherapy,
Shankill, Co. Dublin.