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South County Dublin

From:	J. P. Dublin
Posted:	14 February 2008

Suicide Rise Linked To Closure Of Rular Pubs

Suicide Rise Linked To Closure of Rular Pubs
By J. P. Anderson

SUICIDE in elderly people has been linked to the demise of rural pubs, according to several leading mental health and public health experts.
Adding his voice to growing suggestions that rising suicide rates are directly attributable to the closures, consultant psychiatrist Dr Mosajee Bhamjee said pubs, like churches, had been a focal point in rural communities, and their demise left many feeling increasingly isolated.
?I would say it is contributing to some extent to suicide among the elderly.
?For many older people, the pub was a social centre. It created a sense of social togetherness.
?That is all dying out now and people find themselves at home alone, in some cases drinking alone, which can lead to an even greater sense of loneliness and depression,? said Dr Bhamjee.
Dr Bhamjee was reacting to earlier comments made by Tom McGrath, secretary of Ennis Mental Health Association, who said pub closures were one of the biggest contributing factors to rural suicides.
Mental Health Ireland chief executive Brian Howard said older, single men were particularly vulnerable.
?Obviously by closing off that social outlet, it could give rise to pressures which affect people?s wellbeing in a negative way. This negativity could have an influence on suicidal behaviour,? said Mr Howard.
Public Health specialist Dr Paula Gilvarry said the demise of the rural pub was ?one more element leading to a decrease in social involvement?.
?It?s not just the pub closures; it?s the overall lack of community support for people in rural communities. In the USA, in areas where people were actively involved in the community, a study found they had a greater life expectancy,? said Dr Gilvarry.
Dr Joe Barry, a senior lecturer in public health at Trinity College Dublin, and medical adviser to the National Drugs Strategy team, said he ?wouldn?t dispute? the link between rural pub closures and higher levels of depression and suicide.
?It could happen, of course. It is not helped by the wider availability of cheap alcohol in our supermarkets and off-licences. People are buying more and drinking more and home consumption of alcohol has gone up,? said Dr Barry.
Figures from the Vintners Federation of Ireland show in 2003 there were 6,031 rural pubs around the country. This dropped to 5,434 in 2006. In 2006 alone, 437 pubs closed nationally.
Suicide rates in Ireland have risen from nine per 100,000 people in the five-year period 1980- 1984, to 15 per 100,000 in the five years 2000-2004. Suicide Prevention Helpline: 1800 742 745 Farm and Rural Stress Helpline.

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