For those in our community who have been affected by the sudden loss of a loved one due to suicide, they will know how intense and challenging the grief can be.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
It sends painful ripples through families, friends and the broader community as they grapple with grief, mounting questions and the new reality without their loved one.
These people need our compassion, validation and support during this incredibly difficult time. They need the space to talk about and express their experience and grief in their own way and in their own time.
Time to be deeply listened to and heard. And safe places where they can share their story or listen to others without any judgement.
It’s a heartbreaking fact that around 200 people in Australia attempt to end their life on any given day. It’s also the leading cause of death for people in Australia who are aged between 15 and 44.
Mission Australia’s Youth Mental Health Report 2012 - 2016, based on our annual youth survey, also found that around one-third of young people with a probable serious mental illness were highly concerned about suicide.
Stigma and negative attitudes towards mental health issues and suicide can prevent people from seeking support or accessing services when they are at their most vulnerable.
More must be done to stop this tragic toll and to prevent suicide.
I’d like to see more investment in evidence-based universal mental health support and early intervention programs that particularly target people with a history of, or who are at risk of, suicide to complement clinical and acute care services that are already in place. It’s also important that parents, friends, family and our schools are equipped to provide support to people when they seek help in relation to mental health, including suicide, suicide ideation and self-harm.
We should be educating people, including young people, about mental health first aid and what types of support are available to help prevent suicide.
The stigma that is still attached to suicide means people are less likely to talk about the issue. We need to be talking about it openly and with compassion as well as the impacts of it.
On Monday, February 25 from 6pm there will be a special memorial for those affected by the sudden loss of a loved one due to suicide at Craig’s Hill Chapel in Goulburn.
It will be put on by the Goulburn Suicide Prevention Network and supported by RJ Sidney Craig Funeral Director’s, we welcome anyone who has lost their loved one to come along.
It will be a safe, compassionate space to remember those who are no longer with us, and to share memories. It’s one way we, as a community, can support those affected by the sudden loss of a loved one due to suicide.
There are crisis services available 24/7:
- Lifeline 13 11 14
- Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467
- Mission Australia's area manager for south eastern NSW and ACT, Daniel Strickland