Suicide Rates For Young Australians Highest In 10 Years; Researchers Say Current Suicide Prevention Policies Simply Aren't Working

Trigger warning: This article discusses suicide and self-harm.

A new report reveals the rate of suicide among young Australians is the highest it has been for 10 years, despite prevention strategies and government investment.

Youth mental health service Orygen carried out the research, and have insisted that Australia needs new suicide prevention strategies designed for young people, reports the ABC.

Jo Robinson, head of Orygen’s suicide prevention research, said the current system is clearly “not getting things right”.

Calling 4 a new approach to youth suicide with YP front & centre; a strong focus on tech; responsive service systems and open conversations https://t.co/GQtGcgSatL

— Jo Robinson (@JoRobinson_Aus) November 29, 2016

The report indicated suicide rates among young men are higher than women, although, female suicide rates have doubled over the past 10 years. It also found youth suicides tend to happen in clusters, compared to adult suicides. The groups most at risk are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth, and youth in regional and remote Australia.

In one identified cluster, 21 young people had taken their lives in central Queensland between 2010 and 2012. A further 15 young people died by suicide in a remote northern West Australian town in the same period.

“We need to be very mindful that when there has been a suicide death by a young person, those young people around the death will be vulnerable to suicide going forward,” Dr Robinson explained.

Yes definitely and in tertiary education settings too. Investment has been good but there are big gaps in our current approaches https://t.co/IfaeCE0tNH

— Jo Robinson (@JoRobinson_Aus) November 29, 2016

She said despite the degree of investment in suicide prevention at a government level, a reinvigorated approach must be implemented. The report emphasized a few key problems with the current strategy, among which was the issue of young people being turned away from help.

“We know that there are tens of thousands of young people who are turned away from services every year because services don’t have the capacity to respond to them,” said Dr Robinson. She explains how “very tragically, some of those young people will go on to take their own lives.”

There are also indications that self-harm is on the rise, with hospitalisations for self-poisoning among women spiking in recent years.

“We know one of the myths around self-harm is that young people who engage in self-harm are really attention-seeking… that is absolutely not the case,” said Dr Robinson. “Self-harm in young people is often a risk factor for future suicide.”

Young ppl want to b part of the solution, want suicide talked about openly in education settings and #technology to b part of the response https://t.co/bHNd13CmLJ

— Jo Robinson (@JoRobinson_Aus) November 29, 2016

Dr Robinson says technology can play a pivotal role in helping young people. Online platforms, including web-based counselling services, are considered highly acceptable and valuable to younger generations.

“When technology is used appropriately to connect and support young people, actually suicidal behaviour and mental health problems go down, not up,” explained Professor Ian Hickie, from the Brain and Mind Centre.

Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact lifeline on 13 11 14, or Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467.

Photo: iStock