A new law could save more lives
Fewer young West Australians lost their life to suicide last year compared with 2020. The causes of death report released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics this week reveals that 47 young people in Western Australia died by intentional self-harm in 2021.
This is a sharp decrease from the previous year, when 58 young people’s lives were sadly cut short by suicide, though similar to 2019, when 49 people died. The downward trend seems positive, at least on the surface. But there’s always a time lag with figures and the numbers we’re seeing are some 10-22 months old.
The data also has inherent limitations — ABS findings don’t adequately capture the lived experience, extent of struggle or levels of distress that people might be facing at this time. Nationally, suicide rates across all age groups remain stubbornly high. So does the demand for services. Research has found that suicides often spike two to three years after a natural or economic disaster — we can’t let our guard down as we come out of the pandemic.
“The rising cost of living and mortgages are set to increase financial, housing and relationship stress. We're facing geopolitical tensions and compounding environmental disasters,” says Nieves Murray, chief executive of Suicide Prevention Australia.
Governments must maintain focus on mental health and preventive actions to reduce the likelihood and instances of suicide. Increasing funding for programs and greater mental health awareness is helping. However, Suicide Prevention Australia’s annual State of the Nation report provides some grim evidence about the real need.
“70 per cent of Australians have experienced elevated distress beyond their normal levels compared with this time last year. Our sector is working harder than ever before with 88 per cent of providers reporting an increase in demand over the past 12 months,” says Ms Murray.
Despite the reduction in youth suicide figures in WA, Youth Focus chief executive, Arthur Papakotsias says that there is still much work to be done.
“This ABS data shows that suicide remains the leading cause of death amongst young people aged between 15 and 24,” says Mr Papakotsias. “The impact of these deaths is far-reaching and devastating. We must keep working to prevent these deaths.”
Access to timely, effective and needs-based knowledge and services is essential to reduce the risk of suicide. The youth mental health organisation continues to welcome a steady stream of people through its doors, serving similar numbers in the last two years. In 2021-22, Youth Focus supported more than 3500 young people through 32,953 occasions of services.
Organisations such as Youth Focus are increasingly offering support in a diversity of ways to suit the needs of individuals — such as, online/in-person counselling, apps, and preventive education offer support, at a time and location that suits people. However, there’s more that can be done. Suicide Prevention Australia is urgently advocating for a National Suicide Prevention Act.
“An Act would ensure that every government department, whether it’s housing, education, social security or health, must look at their policies and priorities through a suicide prevention lens. This is a critical step in protecting our community at a time when it’s needed most,” Ms Murray says.
The introduction of a similar act in Japan in 2006 has resulted in a 40 per cent decrease in the number of suicides across the country over a 15-year period. So, there’s solid international evidence for the efficacy of such instruments, if implemented effectively. Suicide is complex, with varied risk factors. Prevention, therefore, requires a multi-pronged approach — one that understands and addresses the needs of individuals and communities, at all levels.
Lifeline: 13 11 14 Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800 Suicide call back service: 1300 659 467
This article was first published in The West Australian in Renée Gardiner’s weekly column in Agenda, 29 October 2022.