Pieta's campaign urges Longford people to help make suicide prevention a national priority

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

This year, Pieta’s No More Silence campaign is about making sure young people know Pieta is here for them too.

And together, with people across Ireland, making sure suicide prevention is a national priority.

Pieta is urging the public to sign its petition, add their voices to the campaign, and help raise the awareness and funds needed to keep Pieta’s life-saving services free for people of all ages, including every young person in crisis.

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% 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, and Pieta is here to support them through crisis and help them regain hope.

Pieta provides free therapy to people in suicidal crisis, those engaging in self-harm, and anyone bereaved by suicide.

The charity plays a vital 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.

Between 2017 and 2024, Pieta recorded a 24% increase in under-18 clients presenting with self-harm.

Within this group, the rise was most pronounced among younger teenagers: a 69% increase at age 12, 51% at age 13, and 75% at age 14. Self-harm is the strongest known risk factor for suicide (Griffin et al, 2023).

This stark reality comes as Pieta launches its No More Silence campaign, this year shining a spotlight on the mental health challenges facing Ireland’s young people while also offering hope through stories of recovery, community, and therapy. Active in each county across Ireland, including Longford, the campaign calls on the public to sign Pieta’s No More Silence petition to make suicide prevention a national priority, raise awareness of Pieta’s free services, and help fund its life-saving work.

Stephanie Manahan, Chief Executive Officer at Pieta, said over one in three people seeking help from our services are children.

"That is a sobering reminder of how urgently young people need suicide and self-harm prevention services - and why Pieta 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 - and they exist thanks to the generosity of the people of Ireland.

“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.

"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.

“I ask anyone thinking about suicide or self-harming to contact our services, and I urge everybody to take part in No More Silence, to speak out and stand with us to make suicide prevention a priority.”

Pieta is calling on people across Longford to get involved by creating opportunities to having meaningful conversations with one another and signing Pieta’s petition to make suicide prevention a national priority.

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

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