WE HAVE a shameful statistic in Northern Ireland ¬– a grim secret that surely affects almost every family in the province, and one which we seldom talk about.

During The Troubles – the 28 years between 1969 and 1997 – it is estimated that around 3,600 people lost their lives.

In the following 21 years, between 1998 and 2019, almost 5,300 suicides were recorded.

In short, more people have died through taking their own life since the Belfast Agreement was signed, than died as a direct result of the violence.

If the current trend continues, with these numbers increasing slightly each year, in the subsequent period of the 28 years since The Troubles officially ceased, just under 7,000 people will have tragically taken their own lives, approximately doubling the death toll of The Troubles.

It’s a shocking figure, and one that many might say we’re not taking seriously enough, especially in terms of preventative measures and where our children are concerned.

For example, almost 20 per cent of Years 8-11 secondary school pupils have identifiable mental health issues, a percentage not helped by the fact that we, in Northern Ireland, already have 25 per cent poorer mental health than our friends across the pond in England.

We all have our pet theories about how and why we’ve got to this point, and we can talk all day long about the causes, but let’s take them as read and, instead, see what is out there for everyone from those who need just a sticking plaster, to those who require urgent intervention in what could be a lifechanging situation.

At face value, getting help seems confusing, but it’s not – the complications lie in the ‘triage’ system of trying to work out what the young person needs best and how urgently.

In a school scenario, The Department of Education funds an independent counselling service for secondary-aged pupils in all grant-aided schools, but this is not available to primary school pupils or those in further education.

To use this, the first point of contact is, well, any trusted adult, such as all teachers and support staff trained about the protocols and procedures of what to do if a young person says to them quietly at the end of a class that they need help.

Whatever your views are on education, 99.9 per cent of teachers enter the profession because they like helping young people, and enjoy working with them.

If you are a pupil in a dark place, never be afraid to simply say that one sentence to a teacher: “I need a bit of help”, or whatever form of words come to your mind.

You can be assured that they will start the wheels in motion, and depending on the need or severity, could well end up with some kind of counselling.

In a school, there is always one person – usually a senior member of staff – who is called the ‘key contact’.

It is this person the teacher would speak to and let them take it from there. On the other hand, if you, as a parent, would like to start the ball rolling, you too may also request a ‘referral’, to give it its proper title.

You simply do this by phoning the school and asking for the key contact for counselling.

If it is a member of the school staff who wishes to make a referral, which is also permitted, then they must discuss it first with the student and seek their agreement.

A teacher may do this because they may notice behavioural changes, signs of neglect or see any other issues that trigger alarm bells.

It’s worth noting that by approaching it this way, there is an underlying commitment to those involved in that it respects the student’s rights to be involved in decisions or outcomes.

Counselling is not compulsory, and depending on the circumstances or severity, there may be other responses that the key contact may consider more appropriate.

All this is done under the aegis of the Independent Counselling Service for Schools (ICSS) that is managed by the Education Authority and funded under the Department of Education (DoE) ‘iMatter’ Programme, which supports the emotional health and wellbeing of young people.

It is easily found on the DoE’s website and contains a 52-page booklet that is free to download; it’s a bit wordy, but well-indexed, and includes a decent FAQ for parents or carers as well as sample referral letters.

The above system is the main thrust in counselling for schools, but by no means the only one as some other organisations in Northern Ireland supply counsellors to come into schools.

They do this with the school’s permission and usually request, as well as also working outside the education arena such as at youth centres, support centres and the like.

Some of these trusted organisations offering such services include Action Mental Health and Family Works.

Action Mental Health not only counsels young people but also organises hosts of programmes, including the ‘Mens Shed’ movement, the ‘New Horizon’ initiative, as well as having some great online resources, for all ages.

AMH also host an intervention programme called ‘Healthy Me’, which is similar in scope to ‘Mood Matters’, a successful scheme run by a similar organisation called ‘Aware’.

‘Family Works’ are similar to AMD in that they cover all ages and offer support, advice, guidance and training to individuals, families and communities; but they do other things as well.

They have a broad-based approach that is carried out by using a range of methods including counselling, mediation, coaching and supervision.

Outside of the DoE/school-based and external counselling services, the NHS-run CAMHS, or the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, assess and treat children and young people with difficult mental health issues.

CAMHS are available not only in Fermanagh, but across the UK, and intervenes for the most severe or complex cases.

All data in this article are taken from either NISRA or from the published resources of nationally recognised charities, organisations which share the same message: if you need help, ask.