Those who speak at funeral services of people who have died by suicide should not glamorise the deceased or give the impression that suicide is a normal response to life’s troubles, a new guide has stated.
Suicide Prevention in the community: A practical guide, which was launched by Minister of State Kathleen Lynch, is aimed at helping communities deal with suicides.
It recommends that there should not be permanent memorials to people who take their own lives; neither should there be dedications at sporting events, dances or community events.
Instead, attention should be focused on activity-focused memorials such as local or national suicide prevention, mental health and voluntary support groups.
It also contains information on how to adjust a suicide victim’s Facebook page in the event of their death.