Private Members’ Statement
ANOULACK CHANTHIVONG (Macquarie Fields) [1.15 p.m.]: From the sounding of the bells signalling the commencement of a Parliamentary sitting day at 10.00 a.m. until the start of question time at 2.15 p.m., just over four hours will have passed. During that period somewhere around our nation an Australian will have committed suicide. This is an alarming statistic. The Australian Bureau of Statistics [ABS] estimates that about 2,500 Australians take their own lives each year. I point out to the male members of this House that men represent 75 per cent of this sad statistic.
The reasons behind suicide are a mixture of emotional, psychological and complex personal issues. Suicide does not affect any one socioeconomic group—it does not discriminate. It accounts for one-third of all deaths of young men aged 15 to 24. For older men, aged 85 and over, the rate of suicide is around three times higher per 100,000 than the national average. If we compare the annual suicide rate of 2,500 to last year's annual road toll of about 1,200, it becomes even clearer that suicide is a significant issue for our community. All three levels of government share responsibility and work in partnership to prevent road fatalities—and that effort is working. There is no reason that this collaborative approach cannot be used to reduce suicide. With the assistance of our not-for-profit sector, I am confident we can achieve great outcomes.
I recently attended the Black, White and Blues charity event, which raises money for Lifeline, the Black Dog Institute and Beyond Blue. The guest speaker was John Brogden, who, of course, is no stranger to this House and whose personal story about depression and his own suicide attempt is well documented. John was honest about his experience and his story shows that there is hope in our darkest moments and there is always a way to rebuild our lives. Organisations such as Lifeline, Beyond Blue and the Black Dog Institute conduct valuable research into the causes of suicide and other mental health issues. More importantly, it is their work in offering support, comfort and help to people in the community to prevent suicide, to reduce the stigma of mental illness and to raise community awareness of mental health issues that offers hope and a pathway to a better life. I am encouraged by the work of Lifeline Macarthur and the support it provides to many people in the Macquarie Fields electorate and south-western Sydney when they need it most.
Professor Helen Christensen of the Black Dog Institute, who also chairs the National Health and Medical Research Council Centre for Research Excellence in Suicide Prevention, is delivering new findings on the causes of suicide and the triggers that lead to it. As well as mental health issues, alcohol and substance abuse must also be taken into account. An improved level of understanding will assist in developing suicide prevention strategies to reduce this awful statistic. The use of statistical evidence and science-based methods in targeting high-risk groups such as our Indigenous communities will assist us in creating social policies to reduce alcohol and substance abuse, and in providing support services and networks to those receiving medical attention for mental health problems.
Campaigns and events such as Mental Health Week and R U OK? Day also play an important role in starting a conversation about what are very sensitive issues for those affected by suicide. It is particularly difficult for those family and friends who are left behind trying to understand the situation. There are many questions and few answers for those left behind. There are the missed signals, the missed conversations that could have potentially saved a life and the questions that were never asked. Our support, compassion and understanding should be extended to those who have been left behind. When someone you know is in a difficult personal situation and jokes about suicide and is acting in an anxious manner that is totally out of character, ask yourself the immediate questions: Are they serious? Have they made this statement before in other surroundings? How many times have they said that they would take their life? Be curious, be inquisitive and continue to ask yourself those questions. But do not forget to ask the most important questions of those showing signs that they need help. Ask them: Are you okay? Do you want to talk about it? How can I help?
