Geelong’s tragic year

New data reals heartbreaking numbers for region

ALMOST half the state’s suicide deaths among boys under 18 this year have occurred in the Geelong region.

A new Coroners Court of Victoria report shows there have been 11 suicides in boys aged under 18 this year.

That figure includes five male secondary school students in the Geelong region who died in the four months to mid-June. Coroner Jacqui Hawkins is investigating the five local deaths as a group.

A Coroners Court spokeswoman said the probe would determine the circumstances of the deaths, whether they represented a defined cluster and if there were opportunities for prevention.

Coroners Court data shows there has been one suicide death among females under 18 in Victoria so far this year, and no increase in suicides this year in Victoria, as the state grapples with coronavirus.

The report reveals the number of suicides in the state this year is consistent with the same period for 2019.

The report, which presents an analysis of all Victorian suicides from January 1, 2016, to August 26, 2020, shows there have been 466 suicides this year, compared with 468 suicides this time last year.

The report shows males are three times more likely to die by suicide than females and males aged 25-55 are at highest risk.

There were 718 suicide deaths in Victoria last year, down from 729 in 2018.

The report’s release marked the first of ongoing monthly public data reports on suicide from the Coroners Court, aimed at supporting safe and open conversations about suicide and prevention in the community.

State Coroner Judge John Cain said while it was encouraging to see there had not been an increase in suicides to date, the focus was on preventing all suicides and seeing the figures go down.

“Open, transparent discussions are critical to reducing suicides, but must be handled with care,” he said.

A taskforce working to help guide a long-term approach to suicide prevention in the Geelong region met for the first time earlier this month. If you or a loved one need help:

Lifeline: 13 11 14 headspace Geelong: 5222 6690 eheadspace: 1800 650 890

Jigsaw triage: 1300 094 187 Bellarine Community Health: 5253 0400

Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800