Between compassion and condemnation: a qualitative study of clergy views on suicide in Northern Ireland

The suicide rate in Northern Ireland, particularly among young men has grown rapidly in recent years. A relatively religious society, compared to other UK European regions, a needs assessment of clergy's pastoral response to mental illness and suicide was undertaken as part of the suicide prevention strategy. We carried out in-depth interviews with 37 clergy from a range of Christian denominations. While a compassionate response to suicide by clergy was commonly advocated, made permissible by an attribution to mental illness, there remain some misgivings about a "softer" theological stance towards suicide. This article describes clergy explanatory models of suicide and discusses the issue of cognitive dissonance on this subject. © 2011 Taylor & Francis.