Suicide Prevention
Duration: 64 minutes
Program ID: 914 | Purchase Price: $105.00 (DVD)
The incidence of suicide in rural Australia is one of the highest in the developed world. In general, nearly two thousand Australians take their own lives every year and there is a severe impact on many other lives, including families, friends, workplaces and communities. For some, suicide may be an impulsive and irrational act, for others it may be a carefully considered choice. Some people take their own life or harm themselves without warning. Others may give some indication of suicidal intent, especially to friends and loved ones, but also to health professionals.
The risk factors for suicide increase as communities become more rural and remote. Estimates suggest that, in some years, the suicide rate for Indigenous people in specific communities is as much as 40% higher than the general population, with young Indigenous males being most at risk. There is also growing evidence that mental health problems have a strong relationship with suicide-related behaviours. However, classifying people who have suicidal thoughts or feelings as mentally ill may isolate them and discourage them from seeking appropriate help, treatment and support.
This program aims to explore suicidal motivation and prevalence within rural and remote communities. It recognises the importance of early intervention and promotes the use and implementation of the national strategic framework, Living is For Everyone: A Framework for Prevention of Suicide in Australia. The framework encourages national action to prevent suicide and promote mental health and resilience across the Australian population. The program will also explore the role of primary health care professionals in rural practice and the importance of recognition and treatment of depression and other suicidal risk factors. It will also examine protective factors and the relationship between good physical and psychological health and suicide prevention.
Program Presenters
- Chair: Dr Norman Swan - Presenter of the Health Report on ABC Radio National
- Ms Adele Cox - Indigenous member of Australian Suicide Prevention Advisory Council, private consultant and part time lecturer Centre for Aboriginal Medical and Dental Health, The University of Western Australia
- Professor Diego De Leo - Director, Aust. Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention; Professor of Psychopathology and Suicidology, Griffith University, QLD
- Mr Tony Gee - Psychologist, Life Is…Foundation, Melbourne, VIC
- Dr David Pierce - General Practitioner, Ballarat, Victoria and Director of Department of Rural Health, University of Melbourne
Learning Outcomes
- Identify people who are at risk of suicide in the primary health care setting.
- Identify support systems for people at risk of suicide particularly in rural and remote settings.
- Provide evidence-based interventions for people with predisposed risk and minimal protective factors
- Effectively demonstrate awareness of the LIFE Framework and culturally appropriate services.
Broadcast Dates
This program was first broadcast on the Foundation's satellite network on Tuesday 25 August 2009.
Funding Bodies
This program has been funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing.
Accreditation
This program is accredited or endorsed for CPD/CPE by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine, the Royal College of Nursing Australia and the Australian Physiotherapy Association.
