15th December 1999

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An alarming report, conducted by the Northern Ireland Science Shop, has recorded that young gay men are 30 times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual counterparts: some have made as many as nine unsuccessful attempts to kill themselves.

Another report, also undertaken by the Science Shop, confirms that many elderly people, although suffering from dementia, may be trying to communicate quite profound thoughts.

Both reports have won awards from the Science Shop - a joint initiative by the University of Ulster and Queen's University which makes available their research resources for organizations such as community and voluntary groups.

One of the research projects was carried out by Queens' student Ross White for The Rainbow Project, a health organization for gay and bisexual men. He looked at the relationship between factors associated with a gay life style and attempted suicide:

"The number of suicide attempts among the people we spoke to was very high, with some reporting four, five and even nine attempts to take their own life. Thirty-two percent of those who took part in the study had attempted suicide."

According to Ross, most of those who tried to kill themselves had taken a drug or alcohol overdose:

"Men who had been sexually assaulted or bullied at school were more likely to attempt suicide. Those who had lost a friend through suicide or who had low-self esteem/high hopelessness were also more likely to try and kill themselves. It is clear that problems exist and they are not being adequately addressed.

"Although the project stands on its own as a body of work, my involvement with the Rainbow Project and the gay men who participated in the study educated me over and above what can be written in a report. The experience had a profound effect on me and the stories of those I met will stay with me for ever."

The other project, which was carried out in conjunction with Age Concern at a number of day and residential centres across the province, looked at the effectiveness of music therapy in communicating with elderly people with dementia.

Anne Campbell, who is a student at the University of Ulster's Magee College in Londonderry/Derry says the therapy, particularly singing, proved highly effective for most patients. Her report has recommended more staff training in the technique and more one-to-one sessions with the patients:

"Music therapy can help older people communicate and help us hear what they are saying. You have to listen very carefully: a lot of what they say can be very significant, very honest and very profound."

For further information, please contact:

Press Office, Department of Communication and Development
Tel: 028 9036 6178
Email: pressoffice@ulster.ac.uk