Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
‘CONNECTING FOR LIFE’, the new suicide prevention strategy launched by An Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Minister for Primary and Social Care Kathleen Lynch this week misses one essential point: preventing suicide begins in infancy.
‘Connecting for life’ begins in infancy and whilst the new strategy is to be welcomed, failing to include the early years of infancy results in a very significant oversight. Such an oversight seems to replicate many national health strategies that overlook early intervention and prevention.
Over the last century the importance of the early years (0 to 3 years) has been established. We have a reliable scientific evidence base that testifies to the importance of the early years in laying the psychological foundation for later life. A host of well conducted longitudinal studies demonstrate that the risk of health difficulties such as heart disease and diabetes and a whole raft of psychological difficulties such as depression, anxiety and alcoholism are related to aversive early life experiences.
Laying the foundation for emotional wellbeing – or not
The early years are the stages when babies learn to crawl, to smile, to play, to rhyme, give and receive love and establish trust. This is the period of development when the brain is at its most formative. The brain has its greatest period of plasticity, of being shaped and molded for later life, during the 0 to 3 years. This period of development presents tremendous opportunity but also tremendous vulnerability. These years of early brain development lay the foundation for later emotional wellbeing, or not.
Our genes serve as the blueprint for neurological development, the brain networks established are reinforced by repeated use. Experts in the field refer to this as a serve and return interaction between the baby and their caregivers. In the absence of good-enough responsive caregiving the brain architecture forms in such a way so as to create a vulnerability to psychological difficulties across the trajectory of the human journey.
We also understand that this process is greatly influenced by social and economic status and therefore one can see how brain architecture is significantly shaped by social and economic conditions.
Where we are on the economic pecking order affects our emotional health
Sir Michael Marmot, the world renowned epidemiologist identifies the ‘social gradient’ affecting the quality and length of our lives according to where we are on the economic pecking order and urges governments to develop policies concerning early child development. He stresses the need for government policies to be constructed through the lens of equity as a means of counterbalancing the social determinants of health outcomes, and urges governments to tackle the ever increasing health inequality because of the ethical issues involved.
The recognition of the social and economic factors contributing to suicide and as targets for action in the new national strategy is a very welcome and encouraging addition.
As a nation we have made great advances in the physical care of children with national immunisation programmes, dental care and universal child welfare payment. There are huge gaps in these services and well-documented inequalities. However, the absence of policy and subsequent provision to support the social and emotional development of children aged under three years is a gap of tremendous significance and reach. This gap is glaringly reflected in the new suicide prevention national strategy.
Ireland is lagging decades behind many of its European neighbours
Over the past 50 years infant mental health has emerged as a significant approach to the promotion of social and emotional wellbeing in infancy, as well as a preventive-intervention approach to treatment when significant risks to the infant or young child, the parent, and the relationship are identified.
Ireland is lagging decades behind many of its European neighbours in the provision of perinatal and infant mental health services. In doing so we are failing to care for some of our most vulnerable citizens. And, in doing so, we are failing to target early intervention and prevention and such a significant gap is regrettably mirrored in an otherwise worthy national suicide prevention strategy.
Dr Paul D’Alton is a clinical psychologist and President of the Psychological Society of Ireland. He writes here in a personal capacity.
Helplines:
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
My wife is deaf and to see our 2 sons aged 3.5 and 22 months using sign to communicate with their mother is nothing short of amazing .my wife also has a sister and brother who are also deaf and a sister who is hearing and watching them in flow of conversation is unbelievable . ISL is a fantastic language and I consider it the most important language I have as without it I would not the woman I married in my life today .
To learn even basic ISL is so expensive, I know a group of friends who wanted to learn. I did basic level with seehear expressed interest in continuing to the next level but never heard back from them. I find it sad the excitement some deaf people express when I use even my basic ISL to help communicate its not that hard to learn or use. I know in transition year we did it and loved it and I could secretly communicate with my friends across the room, bus and in later years a pub/nightclub.
Helena, do you mean DeafHear? There are other places you could learn. Try the Irish Deaf Society.
ISL should be recognised as an official language and the Deaf community deserves this…..
I’ve worked with a deaf colleague and have, over many years, managed to pick up some sign language from what he’s shown me. I won’t say I’m fluent but we can communicate perfectly well and it has given me an insight to his world, noises we take for granted every day he obviously can’t hear. I’ve seen him stepping out onto a road when there was, to our ears, an obviously noisy car coming, I’ve heard him paged several times and while I doubt this was malicious, people genuinely forget. It can be extremely frustrating.
Maybe the pager also had vibration
Maybe paged as in bing bong bing bong can Joe come to reception, Joe to reception please.
I’m afraid it was paged as in Sandra’s version, which was why it was pointless but I don’t believe it was anyone being malicious but rather they simply forgot. He saw the funny side when told about it so, in a way, people genuinely saw past his deafness.
They just want to be heard
That’s terrible! Im a bad person! Please delete journal!
The sign language pic shown at the to of the article is clearly not ISL as only one hand its used for the alphabet in ISL. More than likely the UK Version which is totally different.
Hi Aideen,
It’s very hard to find images of ISL (which is possibly indicative of the larger issue) so hopefully you’ll excuse the use of a generic stock photo of sign language.
Yes Michelle you’re probably right that’s its an indication of the issues The Deaf Community have here in Ireland
Yeah agree with you
The sign language pic… it’s a shame that the Journal did not think to select one of the letters in the American Sign Language Alphabet that is also used in the Irish Sign Language alphabet. (only 8 letters differ between the Irish and American sign language alphabets.)
I recently designed an interactive website to learn basic ISL online for free. It can be found at http://www.learnirishsignlanguage.ie . The idea of the site was to tackle the problem this article presents and show how new media can offer more accessible means of learning this language. The site covers The Alphabet, Numbers, Days of the Week, Months, Colours, Greetings, School, Hobbies, Emotions, Prepositions, Transport, The House, and Weather. Please Explore, Share with friends and enjoy! To avail of all the site offers Chrome is a preferable browser but learning videos are available on all browsers :)
Great resource Kate. :)
Can you put all that into an app for iPhone or Android?
Thanks craig :). The site is created in HTML5 therefore the learning videos can be viewed on iPhones, iPads and android devices. It is not yet an actual mobile app though. I hope to develop a phone app for it in the future. This at least for the moment eliminates the problems of Flash. :)
It’s really good, I learned the ISL alphabet earlier, took me about half an hour! I’m going to keep practicing to get the speed up! Can’t believe how easy it is to memorise! Such a great thing to know! Will definitely pass whatever I learn on to my kids!
The App shown on Late Late show for signing was amazing
Michelle on Hands On was great! Hope you all saw it as we have very little voice in the media and the hearing world. We have huge problems in terms of equality which needs to be addressed badly which people are not aware about e.g a natural right to use ISL in education. This is just one example of many! Way too many problems and lack of awareness in this country.
Thanks a lot Michelle, I’m glad you liked it.
If anyone is looking for ISL Fetac accredited classes, we have them at the Irish Deaf Society http://www.deaf.ie
I personally as a mother would love to see sign language being thought in all schools as a important recognised language, I would love to learn it myself
Wow didnt realise 90k with hearing difficulties in Ireland that is alot of people.
@ Chrissy Buckley
I understand that some school does have ISL programme but it is not recognised by the dept of education. Would be nice if they did.
Just spent the last half hour learning the alphabet in sign! Purely out of guilt!
Well done Michelle you did brilliantly, hope you carry this experience forward.
Thanks a lot Laura!
5,000 ISL in Ireland ! Maybe some Irish deaf who emigrated it new life in England,Australia and USA it could more 10,000 ISL
You never hear them give out
Firstly, congratulations to you Michelle and The Journal for raising this issue and taking part in Hands On, well done. Yes, the pic is not ISL, tip for the future, you could take a photo of the hand of a person that uses ISL. The important thing here is ISL and Deaf awareness. Maybe our government will start listening and give ISL the recognition it rightly deserves.
Michelle, well done on Hands on and for addressing the issue. It was indeed an enjoyable clip to watch and hope to have our silent voices heard more often. Well done :-)
What’ s isl
FlopFlipU,
ISL = Irish Sign Language, the sign language used by Deaf people in Ireland who sign. No, it does not have any connection with spoken Irish.
Hi Michelle, I knopw it being a while however better late than never. I wana say many thanks for doing an article on the Hands on Program. We, Deaf people need allies like you to get the message across to the greater population. So in that way, it would produce positive perspectives on who we are as we are often underestimated despite our poor educational attainment but this does not inhibit our ways of thinking and contribution thanks to our beautiful language, ISL – Irish Sign Language
Good job Michelle
Thanks Pádraig!
When I was in first year in college I wanted to take ISL instead of a European one, and got a large group who wanted the same. At our induction there was a man signing so I though it might be easy enough to organise but no joy, unfortunately.
Hi Michelle
Contact me to meet my ISL learners ASAP.
People Power v Kenny’s Muppets
Let’s call a referendum whether the Rock and Rolling Itish Sign Language be recognised in this beautiful Emerald Isle as our third official language
have your say