Ireland's suicide rate has stabilised since the recession, however men are still significantly more likely to die by suicide compared to women, a new report has shown.

According to the HSE's National Office for Suicide Prevention (NOSP) Annual Report 2016, 486 people died by suicide in 2014, however 399 of these were men. Currently in Ireland, men are four times more likely to die by suicide than women.

The highest suicide rate overall was among those aged between 45 and 54, and this has been the case since 2010. The lowest suicide rate was found among people over the age of 65.

"There was an increase in the suicide rate in Ireland between 2007 and 2012, which can be wholly attributed to an increase in the male rate of suicide. Data from 2012 onwards indicates a leveling off of this rise. Provisional data for 2015 and 2016 suggests a decreasing trend in Ireland's suicide rate," explained the HSE's national director for mental health, Anne O'Connor.

The report noted that between 2007 and 2014, hanging was the most common method of suicide, accounting for almost three in four deaths by suicide during this period.

Meanwhile the report also contained the latest data from the National Self-Harm Registry, which is funded by the NOSP. The figures revealed that 11,485 presentations to hospitals in 2016 were due to self-harm involving 8,909 people. This is in line with 2015 figures.

The report noted that as with the suicide rate, self-harming increased between 2007 and 2012. The overall rate rose by 19% during this period and the largest increase was seen among men.

Rates then appeared to decline around 2012 and 2013, but have essentially stayed the same between 2013 and 2016. Furthermore, the self-harm rate in 2016 was still 10% higher than the pre-recession rate in 2007.

The NOSP has said that it has a number of priorities it hopes to achieve this year and next, including:
-The launch of a new online suicide awareness programme
-The establishment of a revised media engagement programme with increased emphasis on education programmes and engagement with social media platforms
-The development of a campaign to reduce stigma among those with mental health problems and suicideal behaviour
-An assessment of the attitudes of various healthcare professionals to those exhibiting suicidal behaviour.

The Annual Report 2016 can be viewed here