Journal breaking taboo of suicide in Pasifika communities
An idea born at the beginning of the pandemic is breaking down the stigma of suicide and raising awareness in a community that has often treated it as taboo.
The 21-Day Life Journal by the Failoa Famili Charitable Trust is among the first intervention tools for Pacific youth, written by Pacific people. The trust’s executive director, Naomi Saluni Tavau, said it’s one of their resources to help address the social and economic disparities Pacific families face.
She said the idea came to her after New Zealand went into its first lockdown in 2020, while she was reading The Big Life Journal – an Australian publication for young people. ‘‘I thought it was great. So, I did some research and found there was nothing like that for our Pasifika youths in NZ,’’ Tavau said.
As community groups stepped in to hand out food parcels to Pacific families, Tavau wondered why there wasn’t anything available to help younger members during a stressful time. She wanted something that would also raise awareness of suicide prevention.
Figures released by Chief Coroner Deborah Marshall in 2020 showed 654 people died by suicide in the year to June 2020, a drop of 31 deaths from the 2019 total of 685, the highest number ever recorded since records began.
The suicide rate in New Zealand was 13.01 deaths per 100,000 people, down from 13.93.
The figures showed a notable decrease in youth suicides. Deaths among those in the 15-19 age range were down from 73 to 59, and in the 20-24 age range were down from 91 to 60. There were changes from 2009 to 2018 in the rates for Māori, Pacific, Asian and other populations, but all not significantly at the 95% confidence level.
‘‘It’s almost taboo for many of our people – we don’t talk about mental health, let alone suicide, so we wanted something that could give us a bit of confidence to talk a bit about it.’’
Tavau and her team finally came up with the 21-Day Life Journal.
‘‘It’s doing more than challenging the taboo of suicide in Pacific communities. It’s a holistic model of care that our young people can relate to.’’
Through a $49,500 funding from Le Va, the trust was able to print 500 copies.
Where to get help
■ Lifeline 0800 543 354
■ Suicide Crisis Helpline 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO)
■ Youthline 0800 376 633, free text 234, email talk@youthline.co.nz
■ In a life-threatening situation, call 111.