Ireland’s teen suicide rate among the highest in the EU

New research has shown that Ireland has one of the highest teen suicide rates in the EU.

The latest report released by Unicef has shown that Ireland has the fourth highest rate of teen suicide in the European Union. The report revealed that the rate of suicides among 15-19 year olds in Ireland was higher than the international average. It also showed that the number of teens self-reporting mental health issues is on the rise, with 22.6 percent of children between 11 and 15 saying they had experienced two or more psychological symptoms more than once a week.

Irish teens report increasing concerns about their own mental health - read UNICEF's Report Card https://t.co/c9ko0ZIe22 #SDGsforeverychild pic.twitter.com/FLYQId1gIL

— UNICEF Ireland (@unicefireland) June 19, 2017

“Despite economic recovery and the idea that the consequent rising tide will benefit everyone, it is clear children are experiencing real and substantial inequality,” said Unicef Ireland’s chief executive, Peter Power of the findings. “Services are inadequate in several areas and policy change is badly needed.” He went on to call the report a major “wake-up call” for Ireland.