Policy targets rural suicide
Rural health leaders want a new suicide prevention policy that is tailored to address suicide risk in rural men of working age.
This comes after the Ministry of Health’s 2013 suicide data shows that suicide rates in rural men, aged 15-64, were higher than suicide rates in urban men, and higher than the national male rate.
The data showed there were 78 rural suicides, accounting for 15 per cent of all suicides in 2013. Most rural suicide deaths were men (55) and 23 were female. There were 12.5 suicide deaths for every 100,000 people compared with 10.8 per 100,000 in urban areas.
Rural Health Alliance Aotearoa New Zealand (RHANZ) chairman Dr Jo Scott-jones said that policy needed to be different for rural areas compared with urban. ’’We think there are particular pressures on rural people that may lead to these high rates, and we do know that issues like the ease of access to weapons for rural men in distress results in higher rates of suicide using firearms in this group.’’
Often it was young male farm workers that were the most at risk. ’’Rural people have particular issues accessing services, due to the lack of adequate transport and inability of central services to reach into rural communities. We need mental health services that can respond adequately to the needs of rural people.’’
It was also a question of resources because it cost more to provide services in rural communities than in urban.
While rates had been higher in rural areas compared with urban every year since 2010, the overall rate of rural suicides had declined over that period.
‘‘This is good to see, but the problem with statistics is they represent in numbers an awful lot of emotional pain and hurt for families. Whenever we look at these numbers, the stories we hear are never far behind. It is important for us to continue to do everything we can to reduce the pain behind these numbers.’’
This data comes shortly after the Ministry of Justice released provisional statistics showing that one-third of farmers who took their lives last year were from Waikato.
The region leads the country with six of its farmers taking their own lives from a total of 18 deaths during 2015-16, ending June. The suicide toll equals that of 2014-15, when six Waikato farmers also took their own lives. In 2012-13, 19 farmers in New Zealand committed suicide, which was well down on the previous year’s total of 27. The provisional statistics are based on district health board boundaries.
The latest statistics reveal three West Coast farmers committed suicide, the southern region had two and there was one each in the Bay of Plenty, Hawke’s Bay, Hutt, Lakes, Nelson Marlborough, Northland, Southern and Wairarapa.
Where to get help: The Mental Health Foundation’s free Resource and Information Service (09 623 4812) will refer callers to some of the helplines below: Lifeline - 0800 543 354 Depression Helpline (8 am to 12 midnight) - 0800 111 757 Healthline - 0800 611 116 Samaritans - 0800 726 666 Suicide Crisis Helpline (aimed at those in distress, or those who are concerned about the wellbeing of someone else) - 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) Youthline - 0800 376 633, free text 234 or email