There were almost 500 more suicides between 2008 and 2012 than there would have been if Ireland had not gone into recession.
A study by the National Suicide Research Foundation has revealed the rate of suicide among men at the end of 2012 was 57 per cent higher than before the recession.
Data specific to Cork found that one third of men who took their own lives were unemployed - and half of those had worked in the construction industry.
Professor Ella Arensman is one of the authors of the report.
She says government policy during the recession may have contributed to rise in suicide and self harm.
