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A review of the current approach to suicide prevention

Suicide is perhaps the most gendered health issue with a proportion of around four males for every female. The issues and contexts of suicide are complex and it is a product of many factors which makes it a difficult problem to address. These resources offer some of the personal insights into the causes and factors that lead to suicide in men. These personal accounts offer perhaps a more valuable set of insights into why ending life becomes the only option for many men and boys.

Situational Approach to Suicide Prevention MHIRC - Issue 19

Posted in Suicide

The Situational Approach - A new approach to suicide prevention: This approach acknowledges the predominant association of situational distress, rather than mental illness, with suicide (though in some cases the two are linked), and is principally informed by and responds to risk factors of a broad spectrum of difficult human experiences across the life span. This approach is also mindful of and wherever possible seeks to address contextual, systemic, and socio-cultural risk and protective factors and determinants: the real world of individuals’ lived experience.

Contents:

Alliance for Situational Approach to Prevention of Suicide (ASAPS)
COVID-19, unemployment, and suicide
Suicide in Rural Australia: Are Farming-Related Suicides Different?
Connect 2020 - A mental health and suicide prevention webinar series

Read the full content here

Situational Approach to Suicide Prevention MHIRC - Issue 21

Posted in Suicide

The Situational Approach- A new approach to suicide prevention: This approach acknowledges the predominant association of situational distress, rather than mental illness, with suicide (though in some cases the two are linked), and is principally informed by and responds to risk factors of a broad spectrum of difficult human experiences across the life span. This approach is also mindful of and wherever possible seeks to address: contextual, systemic, and socio-cultural risk and protective factors and determinants: the real world of individuals’ lived experience.

Contents:

1. COVID-19 and Mental Health CSI Response October 2020

2. Adverse Life Events and Suicide
Editorial comment: There is a major discrepancy with the ABS data

3. Personal wellbeing and Covid 19 – The Mental Illness ideology out of control

4. Melbourne’s COVID-19 spike in antidepressant use may trigger suicides by children and adolescents

Read the full content here

Situational Approach to Suicide Prevention MHIRC - Issue 18

Posted in Suicide

In this edition of the Situational Approach Bulletin we take a closer look at the breakdown for our national figures for suicide deaths. We challenge the description of ‘mental disorder’ being applied to many of these deaths.

We call for a thorough review of how we collect and analyse our suicide data; important changes need to be made in this process if we are to make any inroads at all into reducing the mounting toll of suicide deaths.

Situational Approach to Suicide Prevention MHIRC - Issue 16

Posted in Suicide

In this edition of the Situational Approach Bulletin we offer a few thoughts in response to a 2019 Discussion paper published in The Lancet Psychiatry

Social interventions: a new era for global mental health?

Abstract:

The recognition of the relationship between sociostructural challenges and poor mental health outcomes has recently taken centre stage in global health debates. Both the Lancet Commission on global mental health and sustainable development,1 and UN Special Rapporteur Dainius Pūras’ report on mental health have reaffirmed the inseparability of mental health outcomes from macrolevel social challenges and inequalities.

Burgess, R. A., Jain, S., Petersen, I., & Lund, C. (2019). Social interventions: a new era for global mental health?. The Lancet Psychiatry. (Link)

Contents:

Covid -19 Support

Men’s Health Week 2020

We offer our comments to suggested interventions for a new era for global mental health

The impact of Psychosocial factors on Mental Health and their implications in Life Insurance

The Impact of Covid-19 unemployment on Men

Situational Approach to Suicide Prevention MHIRC - Issue 20

Posted in Suicide

Men in Crisis – Are we helping or compounding their difficulties?
Mental Illness ideology
Consultation Paper for the National Preventive Health Strategy
Connect 2020 - A mental health and suicide prevention webinar series
Male Health Initiative – Evaluation Survey

Read the full content here

Situational Approach to Suicide Prevention MHIRC - Issue 15

Posted in Suicide

We would like to acknowledge the challenging times we are all facing as a result of the emergence of COVID-19 in Australia. With the safety and well-being of our communities at front of mind, we are not encouraging the community events for Men’s Health Week this year in accordance with the current NSW Health recommendations. We will be announcing the alternative methods to campaign and promote Men’s Health Week soon with the anouncment of Theme of Men’s Health Week 2020.

Contents

COVID-19 Global Men's Health update

A. Facts at a Glance

B. Information about these facts

Links to useful papers and resources:

References/Sources:

Read the bulletin here

National Suicide Prevention Taskforce Interim Advice

Posted in Suicide

A call for a more compassionate, whole-of-government approach to suicide prevention that responds early to distress:

The Prime Minister publicly released the Interim Advice documents prepared to shape Australia’s suicide prevention approach. This will enable further consultation to occur over the coming weeks to inform the Final Advice.

The Interim Advice consists of three interrelated reports: (1) Compassion First, detailing the experiences of people with lived experience of suicide; (2) Interim Advice Report containing 13 in-principle recommendations; and (3) Shifting the Focus, outlining a whole-of-government approach to suicide.

Read the fullreport here

National FREE 24/7 Crisis Services

Communicating about suicide during a global pandemic

Posted in Suicide

Communicating about suicide during a global pandemic: impact on journalists and media audiences - Alexandra Wake, Elizabeth Paton, Rebecca Pryor

COVID-19 has brought with it an increase in predictions of mental ill-health and suicide impacts in Australia. For journalists, it has been a period not only of personal stress about their economic livelihoods and occupational safety, but also balancing providing up to date information about the pandemic with safe, sensitive and accurate reporting on associated suicide and mental health issues. Mindframe offers guidelines, resources and individualised support to help manage the complexities of reporting on suicide in this global pandemic, working with media to protect people in their audience who are vulnerable to suicide while also helping journalists protect their own mental health and well being. Read the full artcle here

Ask for help:

Butterfly Foundation's National Helpline, ED HOPE, is a free, confidential service that provides information, counselling and treatment referral for people with eating disorders, and body image and related issues. Call 1800 33 4673, 8am-midnight AEST / 7 days a week.

eheadspace provides mental health and wellbeing support, information and services to young people aged 12 to 25 years and their families. Call 1800 650 890, 9am-1am AEST / 7 days a week.

Kids Helpline is Australia’s only free 24/7 confidential and private counseling service specifically for children and young people aged 5 to 25. Call 1800 55 1800.

Lifeline provides 24-hour crisis counselling, support groups and suicide prevention services. Call 13 11 14.

MensLine Australia is a professional telephone and online support and information service for Australian men. Call 1300 78 99 78, 24 hours / 7 days a week.

Suicidal behaviour among older aged Australians

Posted in Suicide

Page et al. (2020): The impact of transitions from employment to retirement on suicidal behaviour among older aged Australians

Transition from employment to retirement may be an important precipitating factor for suicidal behaviour, affected by current and previous mental health status. Services and programs facilitating continued or re-employment in older age, and adjustment to the transition from employment to retirement may prevent suicidal behaviour. Read the full article here.

Are Farming-Related Suicides Different in Rural Australia?

Posted in Suicide

Rural Australians experience a range of health inequities—including higher rates of suicide—when compared to the general population. This retrospective cohort study compares demographic characteristics and suicide death circumstances of farming- and non-farming-related suicides in rural Victoria with the aim of: (a) exploring the contributing factors to farming-related suicide in Australia’s largest agricultural producing state; and (b) examining whether farming-related suicides differ from suicide in rural communities. Farming-related suicide deaths were more likely to: (a) be employed at the time of death (52.6% vs. 37.7%, OR = 1.84, 95% CIs 1.28–2.64); and, (b) have died through use of a firearm (30.1% vs. 8.7%, OR = 4.51, 95% CIs 2.97–6.92). However, farming-related suicides were less likely to (a) have a diagnosed mental illness (36.1% vs. 46.1%, OR=0.66, 95% CIs 0.46–0.96) and, (b) have received mental health support more than six weeks prior to death (39.8% vs. 50.0%, OR = 0.66, 95% CIs 0.46–0.95). A range of suicide prevention strategies need adopting across all segments of the rural population irrespective of farming status. However, data from farming-related suicides highlight the need for targeted firearm-related suicide prevention measures and appropriate, tailored and accessible support services to support health, well-being and safety for members of farming communities. View Full-Text

Reducing distress in the community following the COVID-19

Posted in Suicide

Suicide Prevention Australia and Wesley Mission are calling on government to provide increased support to Australians experiencing distress following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Titled Reducing distress in the community following the COVID-19 pandemic, the new white paper highlights broader social and economic factors causing distress in the community: stepping away from a mental health specific approach.

“The COVID-19 pandemic is a unique health crisis and one that has touched the lives of thousands directly affected by the virus, as well as their loved ones”, said Nieves Murray, CEO of Suicide Prevention Australia.

Reducing distress in the community following the COVID-19 pandemic provides a roadmap of proposals to address the ongoing needs of people during and after the pandemic response measures.

Key recommendations include:

1. Increase the base rate of JobSeeker (NewStart) and extend JobKeeper past September.

2. Build domestic and family violence workforce capacity to screen for mental health issues and suicide risk.

3. Invest in mental health screening and a model of care for retirement villages.

4. Deliver a national survey into the impacts of COVID-19 on the mental health of Australians.

5. Fund screening and tailored suicide prevention training for frontline hospital staff faced with alcohol and other drug issues.

6. Extend the moratorium on evictions and address long-term housing and accommodation needs through the recovery phase of COVID-19.

7. Promote fact-based sources of information on COVID-19.

You can read the full white paper here.

Suicide: Predicting The Unpredictable - By Medical Forum

Posted in Suicide

Suicide prevention is the hardest in the hard basket, but data and strategic thinking are making the impossible seem possible.

Mental health is difficult: It’s difficult to diagnose, to treat, to predict and to understand. Suicide is beyond difficult as there are so many individual factors that lead to someone intentionally taking their life which makes it a uniquely problematic phenomenon to research.

This is reflected in the national suicide rate, which has gradually risen in the past 10 years. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), in 2008, suicide was the leading cause of death among people aged 15-44 in Australia.

Read the full article here.

Penrith Men's Walk & Talk

Posted in Suicide

The weekly walk begins and ends at the Nepean River Coffee Club and follows the bridge to bridge Great River Walk which is about 6.4km long and takes around an hour and ten minutes. But there are no strict rules if you’re unable to walk the entire way or can’t stay the whole time. Watch the video here

Details:
When: Weekly on a Thursday
Time: 5pm for a 6pm sharp walk
Where: The Coffee Club, Nepean River
Cost: Free

Situational Approach to Suicide Prevention MHIRC - Issue 14

Posted in Suicide

Contents

Hot topic from the Productivity Commission - Screening 0 – 3 year olds for ‘mental illness’?!?!?!. 2

More information about Psychiatric Labelling and Drugging of Australian Children. 2

A perspective from the United Nations 2019. 2

Read the full article here

This Bulletin: Prepared by Anthony Smith; Edited by Shravankumar Guntuku

Situational Approach to Suicide Prevention – Monthly Bulletin – Issue 13

Posted in Suicide

Contents of this issue:

Welcome to New Year

The role of Situational Distress in Suicide Deaths

The Situational Approach to Suicide Prevention - Men’s Health Information and Resource Centre (MHIRC) WSU

Staggering figures - mental health-related drug prescriptions in Australia

America’s rising suicide rate

Read teh content here

Tackling the Challenge

Posted in Suicide

For me, catching up with a group of mates on the weekend and and talking openly about my week is good for my mental health.” Andy Davies.

Tackling the Challenge: Talking Local Men’s Health is a project looking to make a lasting and positive impact on local men’s familiarity and interaction of men’s health issues through the telling of local men’s stories of thriving in times of hardship. For more information about this project, please visit: http://www.wingecarribeehealthassociationformen.org/projects.html

For more information or to get involved contact:
Brendan Bennett
Mental Wellbeing Health Promotion Officer
South Western Sydney Local Health District
(02) 9616 4048
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Peter Van Dort
Wingecarribee Community Health Centre
(02) 4861 800

Situational Approach to Suicide Prevention MHIRC - Issue 12

Posted in Suicide

The Situational Approach is being promoted by Mengage at MHIRC (WSU) and The Bulletin is published monthly. Prepared by: Anthony Smith; Editor: Shravankumar Guntuku.

The Situational Approach - A new approach to suicide prevention: This approach acknowledges the predominant association of situational distress, rather than mental illness, with suicide (though in some cases the two are linked), and is principally informed by and responds to risk factors of a broad spectrum of difficult human experiences across the life span. This approach is also mindful of and wherever possible seeks to address: contextual, systemic, and socio-cultural risk and protective factors and determinants: the real world of individuals’ lived experience.

Contents of this issue:

WHO Report: Mental health, resilience and inequalities
The impact of socioeconomic factors on mental health and the case for collective action
The social determinants of mental health: an overview and call to action.
Dying from Inequality – Samaritans Report UK 2017
In our Words – Launch of the Booklet of Stories from “The Shed in Mt. Druitt” on International Men’s Day

Read the full article here

Situational Approach to Suicide Prevention MHIRC - Issue 11

Posted in Suicide

The Situational Approach - A new approach to suicide prevention: This approach acknowledges the predominant association of situational distress, rather than mental illness, with suicide (though in some cases the two are linked), and is principally informed by and responds to risk factors of a broad spectrum of difficult human experiences across the life span. This approach is also mindful of and wherever possible seeks to address: contextual, systemic, and socio-cultural risk and protective factors and determinants: the real world of individuals’ lived experience.

The approach is being promoted by Mengage at MHIRC (WSU)

The Situational Approach Bulletin is published monthly on Mengage.

Contents of this issue:

New Suicide Prevention Australia (SPA) Report confirms the importance of the Situational Approach

Language and the mental illness ideology

Belgium Leadership – challenging the mental illness ideology

It’s Time to Stop Blaming Men for Their Mental Health Woes

Situational Approach to Suicide Prevention MHIRC. WSU Prepared by Anthony Smith; Edited by Shravankumar Guntuku, Read the full article here

Every life: The Queensland Suicide Prevention Plan 2019-2029

Posted in Suicide

Every life: The Queensland Suicide Prevention Plan 2019-2029 (Every life) was launched on World Suicide Prevention Day, 10 September 2019, by the Hon Dr Steven Miles, Minister for Health and Minister for Ambulance Services.

Every life, a renewed whole-of-government approach to suicide prevention, outlines Queensland Government led actions which aim to bring about a meaningful reduction in suicide over the next decade. Actions will engage government, non-government, community and private sectors partners. The plan, informed by extensive consultation with a broad range of stakeholders including people with a lived experience, is built across four areas:

• Building resilience by improving wellbeing in our people and communities
• Reducing vulnerability by strengthening support to vulnerable people
• Enhancing responsiveness to suicidality
• Working together to achieve more

Every life recognises that suicide is preventable and emphasises the vital importance of working together to reduce suicide. It acknowledges that effective suicide prevention requires responses beyond health services and must incorporate the voices of people with lived experience.

Understanding that change will take time, Every life is a 10-year plan with three distinct phases. Each phase will be reviewed and refreshed, with the second and third phases building on achievements and learnings from the previous phase.

Phase One has been backed by an $80.1 million commitment as part of the 2019 Queensland Budget, with investments in initiatives including mental health supports in schools, enhancements to crisis care, and community-led approaches to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth suicide prevention.

Situational Approach to Suicide Prevention; MHIRC - Issue 10

Posted in Suicide

We are pleased to be able to say that we may be having some influence in how we think about suicide. As a result of people reading the Bulletin, we are being approached from people around the country to discuss and publicise our views. Two recent examples:

September 2 we were featured in the Mercury (Hobart) newspaper https://www.themercury.com.au/news/opinion/talking-point-suicide-is-about-more-than-mental-illness/news-story/4eb34e82c4a90713e9910177d39614d2 You can access through the MHIRC Facebook link https://www.facebook.com/westsydumhirc

Talking Point: Suicide is about more than mental illness

September 12 - a radio interview for Dads on the Air [to be aired Sept 12]

A Paradigm Shift in Suicide Prevention

Contents of this issue:

Publicity of the Situational Approach

Social Determinants of Mental Health

Men’s Mental Health

Harm from antidepressants

Read the full article here