"Home is Where We Start From: Empowering Communities,"

Theme of the 2010 Cultural Impact Conference. (By Philip McTaggart)

I was delighted to have been invited to the Chicago School of Professional Psychology as a guest speaker where I met many friends and supporters of the work of PIPS.  With over 1300 students the conference was packed to capacity, each of the session introduced “positive feature for community development,” Debated at the conference was a number of viewpoints and strategies for strengthening and revitalising communities.

In early May this year 10 students along with 2 doctors from the school will be in Belfast for two weeks as part of a study visit working with PIPS groups this partnership will have many benefits for PIPS and the school in years to come.

I would like to say a big thank you to Dr. Jim Galezewski and his wife Sharmin for looking after me and showing me around the city of Chicago.

Founded in 1979, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology is the nation’s leading non-profit school exclusively dedicated to the applications of psychology and related behavioural sciences. The school is an active member of the National Council of Schools and Programs of Professional Psychology, which has recognised The Chicago School for its distinguished service and outstanding contributions to cultural diversity and advocacy.

Suicide & Depression the impact on the community

My big son Philip was just one of hundreds of young people in the North of Ireland who have taken their own lives in the past several years, part of a suicide epidemic that has spiked since peace broke out. Grieving parents have been left to ask a question that is neither Protestant nor Catholic: why?

Part of the problem is that here in the north, with the war over and people coming out from the trenches, there is less cohesion in particular communities. No longer facing threats and heavy militarization, neighbourhoods aren’t as tightly knit together as they were before.

Statistics show that people living in the most economically deprived areas are at high risk, as are our young people. From the experience which PIPS has gained working in the area of suicide prevention over several years we have identified some themes associated with suicide in our community.

Many people have experienced the pressures of mounting debts and the threat of bankruptcy or repossession. The recession has worsened this with rising unemployment and often it is those experiencing the highest levels of economic deprivation who are hit hardest. The credit crunch is also likely to affect young people from deprived backgrounds as those who are academically unqualified will have a greater difficulty than ever accessing jobs in this new climate.

Other issues which we believe affect the emotional wellbeing of our young people are a lack of coping strategies and communication skills. Instead of spending time talking to family and friends, young people are increasingly turning to technology to communicate. Talking on social networking sites and by text instead of face to face may leave some young people unable to express their feelings when they experience the difficult times which we all encounter.

It is complex issues like these which contribute to the impact which the problems of depression and suicide have on our community.