Research released by a suicide crisis centre in Dublin has found a 40% increase in the number of people seeking help in the first six months of this year.
President Mary McAleese told a conference on suicide today that more needed to be done to tackle the issue.
This is World Suicide Prevention Week, with dozens of initiatives across the country to help as many people as possible.
Last year an estimated 486 people took their own lives, 386 were male, 100 female.
Speaking at the Console National Suicide conference in Dublin, President McAleese said issues such as unemployment, alcohol and drug abuse, bullying and homophobia need to be tackled and talked about to stop people feeling as though they are on their own.
Figures released by Pieta House, the suicide crisis centre, showed a 40% increase in the number of people coming to them for help in the first six months of this year.
Research indicates that almost 60% of men aged 18-34 tend to turn to their mothers for support if in distress, illustrating the fact, says Pieta House, that the family unit is still the primary support network for the majority of people.
Initiatives are taking place all across the country, with a fundraising sky dive in Offaly this weekend and many yellow ribbon events in cities such as Waterford.
Fr Aidan Troy has said that we are living in times where a lot of hope has been squeezed out of the system, whether that is politically or economically.
Speaking at the conference, Fr Troy said that you certainly cannot deny that death happens, particularly in the case of suicide.
He said that often we have to step back and ask what was life like for the person who ran out of hope.
Fr Troy said that the perception would be that the church, which had traditionally been a beacon of hope, would no longer be the first port of call in a crisis.
