In 2011, 525 people died by suicide in Ireland - an increase of 7 percent on the previous year. After these figures were published, the Minister for Health, Dr James Reilly, described suicide as a tragedy that we are constantly working to prevent. Ireland, like most countries, has a national suicide prevention strategy, but there is scant evidence to support most of the initiatives set out in national suicide prevention strategies.

In Suicide: A Modern Obsession, Dr. Pat Devitt and Derek Beattie explore suicide in different cultures and historical periods, survey various public-policy approaches to the subject (looking at what works and what doesn't), investigate links between economic performance and suicide, and provide an in-depth examination of suicide prevention. They also look at the impact of media portrayals of suicide. Finally, they offer practical advice to those dealing with suicide and its aftermath.