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Suicide and self-harm in Irish Travellers presenting to the Emergency Department: clinical outcomes and engagement with mental health services

Suicide is a serious problem in the Traveller community: the suicide rate within Irish Travellers is 11%. This is 6 times higher in women and 7 times higher in men compared with the general population. Self-harm and suicidal ideation are among the most well-recognised factors associated with completed suicide. High rates of mental distress have previously been reported in this population.
This project will examine suicide and self-harm rates in the Irish Traveller population, using the general population as a comparison group. I will use the self-harm databases from the Galway hospitals to examine the socio-demographic and clinical factors associated with self-harm in the general population and in the Travelling population. I will examine methods used, referral patterns and engagement with mental health services, in addition to any clinical differences in this population.
This information will benefit the future of health care in the Irish Traveller community by providing a glimpse into the current needs of the community and will help the Irish Traveller community, a newly recognized ethnic group, by helping communicate the needs of the community with respect to health care.