Australian Rugby Team says Ireland is not unique in having to deal with the issue of youth suicide but it can learn from other countries - including Australia…
The Australian Rugby Team, in advance of the International test match against Ireland on Sunday 15th November, celebrated the launch of a new internet-based mental health service for Irish young people, ReachOut.com. The service, run by Inspire Ireland Foundation, is part of a global network that was founded in Australia where it has been operating successfully for over ten years.

The event in The Vaults was hosted by Inspire Ireland chairman, Dr. Colin Hunt.  The Wallabies showed their support for the web based service and emphasized the role that sports teams and clubs can play in encouraging people, particularly young men to talk about their problems and to look out for others.

Reading a speech on behalf of the team, Jim Williams, the Australian Assistant Coach and former Munster player, said Ireland is not unique in having to deal with the issue of youth suicide but it can learn from other countries - including Australia. He said there was an increased level of male suicide in Ireland over the past 15 – 20 years with men under 30 now accounting for one in three of all Irish suicides with the highest rates among men in their early 20s. Young men are over 5 times more likely to die by suicide than young women, Mr Williams said. He said there was a significant value to having a web based service such as Reachout.com for young people with nearly 90% of Irish teenagers spending time online every week.

For further information visit www.reachout.com.