Isolation suicide danger

People urged to reach out to tackle problem

A COMMUNITY approach is key to supporting Tasmanians struggling with mental health issues, says the state’s peak network for suicide prevention.

Natural disasters combined with a lack of mental health services and job opportunities have made rural and regional areas across Australia hot spots for suicide, national experts say.

Analysis of Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data from 2015 to 2019 reveals all but one of the 20 deadliest postcodes for suicide are in rural Queensland, Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Tasmania.

Relationships Australia Tasmania CEO Michael Kelly, who is chair of the Tasmanian Suicide Prevention Community Network, said suicide had a significant and profound impact on the Tasmanian com- m munity, in both and the city.

“It’s important that we all work together in order to prevent suicide across the state,” Mr Kelly said.

Mr Kelly said at the heart of the Tasmanian approach was enabling communities to tackle suicide at the local level.

“There are so many people across the state in early intervention, intervention and postintervention,” intervention, he said. the country

Mr Kelly said isolation could contribute to mental health issues for people in rural areas, so it was important that people reached out to those they may be concerned about.

News Corp Australia this week launches Mental Health 360, bringing together mental health experts and those touched by it first- hand.

Panel experts include former Australian of the Year Professor Patrick McGorry,

Sydney University’s Professor Ian Hickie, child psychiatrist Professor Jon Jureidini, Chris Turton who lost his son Dan to suicide, Kids Helpline CEO Tracy Adams and country music star Melinda Schneider.

Together with senior journalists Sue Dunlevy, Ben Pike, Natasha Bita and Kathy McCabe, Mental Health 360 dissects what is arguably the biggest issue affecting Australians. lians.

Professor McGorry said the statistics “are so shocking — it’s like a war zone”.

“There’s more than 15,500 people who have died in that five- year period,” the Mental Health 360 panel expert said.

“If the cause of death were something different — like drownings or car accidents — it would be in people‘ s faces and on the front page.”

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