Suicide
was defined at the recent Mental Health conference as “a disaster”,
literally of worldwide proportions. One million people suicide
annually and men are up to four times more likely to suicide than
women.
It is the second largest killer in the US Army. In the ADF it
is the third leading cause of deaths, with seven or eight each
year.
Since 1996 there have also been 462 reported cases of nonfatal
related behaviour.
The opportunity for suicide prevention is a critical issue incorporating
those persons who are identified as being at risk. Some chilling
statistics have emerged.
Although suicide accounts for only 2 percent of all reportable
deaths, 20 persons per 100,000 in the age group 15-34 will suicide,
decreasing to 12 per 100,000 in the 35-44 age group, the second
highest risk group.
Many forces can contribute to a person contemplating or attempting
suicide. These include a complex array of mental health, family,
relationship, society and situational factors while adverse childhood
events can result in adjustment problems in later years, coupled
with depressed coping skills often associated with some form of
loss.
However, the foremost among these as they relate to the Armed
Forces are depression and personal stresses including relationship
problems, financial problems, legal/disciplinary problems and
problematic use of alcohol.
While it will never be possible to identify every person who is
thinking of suicide, the main key to detection and intervention
lies training individuals to identify and aid the person at risk
until professional health carers are able to take over.
Programs such as the Living Works education program and the Applied
Suicide Intervention Skills Training program (ASIST) train health
and non-health personnel to operate in these roles as well as
promoting suicide awareness.
They aim to provide people with the skills to identify others
at risk of suicide in their immediate community or workplace as
well as provide emergency suicide first aid and life-assisting
intervention until the person can be passed on to health professionals.
The conference stressed the issue is a community problem.
It also stressed that its management must be embraced and confronted
by all levels of the community and, as with alcohol problems,
without any stigma attached to the person.
