Irish people under the age of 25 are the most susceptible to suicide in Europe, the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) said today.
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A survey published last week by the OECD placed Ireland second in a league table of people under 25 who take their own lives. Ireland had a rate of 10.3 per 100,000, compared to an OECD average of 5.6. In Britain, the rate is 3.3.
Today, the USI unveiled their emotional health awareness poster - It takes a lot of bottle to really talk- in conjunction with Aware, the Samaritans and the Northern Irish Mental Health Organisation.
USI welfare officer Ms Maureen Woods said: "There appears to be an increase in the numbers of students declaring that they have suicidal thoughts and feelings, and the third-level setting provides an ideal opportunity to promote the mental health of young people".
Ms Woods said the poster campaign was designed to let young people know that there is always someone to talk to.
"There are no pictures of depressed people on the posters as students are less likely to relate to those images. We are trying to get the message across that there is always someone there to talk to".
She added that between 1997 and 2001, 301 males and 54 females committed suicide in Ireland and that the campaign would focus on young males.
According to Mr Paul O'Hare, public relations manager, Samaritans Ireland, males are four-times less likely to receive an appropriate response to expressions of depressed emotions from their peers as women.
USI president Mr Colm Jordan said the student group had approached the Department of Health and Children with a request for the Minster, Mr Micheal Martin, to endorse their campaign but without success.
USI represents 250,000 students in the country.