CEO Update: Stating that suicide is everybody's business is easy to say
This week, in light of World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10 and R U OK? Day on September 12, I asked Christine Morgan, CEO of the National Mental Health Commission and National Suicide Prevention Advisor to Prime Minister Scott Morrison, to write a guest blog. Thank you Christine for your thoughtful and passionate contribution, and for your tireless work in the mental health and suicide prevention sectors.
Stating that suicide is everybody's business is easy to say
Next week marks World Suicide Prevention Day and R U OK?Day. Now more than ever it is important that we work together, across each community and across the whole of government, to prevent the distress and impacts that come with suicide.
With more than 3,000 people dying by suicide and a conservative estimate of 65,000 suicide attempts each year, the impacts are far reaching. Research tells us that more than 100 people are exposed to each death by suicide. That’s hundreds of thousands of Australians impacted each and every year.
Over the past three months I have been visiting communities across Australia and have heard about what is working and what our communities believe needs to change. I have also heard about the sadness and grief experienced by those who have lost a loved one to suicide and the frustration of those who are trying to navigate the current system of support.
Like many colleagues and community members who have worked tirelessly to communicate the importance of suicide prevention, I was pleased to see this issue elevated to the highest office in Australia recently, and privileged to be given the role of advising our Prime Minister. But, the promise of this appointment and the opportunity it brings should not be taken lightly, by me or anyone else who has dedicated their energy, knowledge, skills and lived expertise to this area.
In my view, there is a real opportunity for us to come together on this issue, but we must think more broadly than we have been. While it is easy to say that suicide prevention is every body’s business, it is harder to really achieve the kind of cross-government, cross-jurisdiction and whole of community response that is required. While our health services, community organisations and funded suicide prevention programs certainly have a critical role to play, we must consider the broad range of issues impacting on people’s lives and consider all of the touchpoints where we have an opportunity to make a positive difference.
We need to review our current approach and ensure that those who find themselves in despair get immediate and effective support – regardless of whether they are connected to the health services or not. But we also need to actively seek to understand and reduce the factors that contribute to despair and suicidal thoughts. This means looking towards the social determinants of suicide, and effective policy shifts as well as interventions that can reduce their impacts and address the root causes of these experiences. Recent research by the ABS showed that while many people who die by suicide experience mental illness, other health and psychosocial risk factors are also important. Things like past history of self-harm, alcohol and other drug problems, relationship issues, legal issues, unemployment, homelessness, disability, bullying, loss of a loved one and impacts of chronic health conditions.
It’s critical governments, services and the broader community come together to ensure an inclusive and proactive response to suicide. This is a big issue that requires a big response. Over the next fifteen months I will be working with government Ministers and departments, community leaders and those with diverse expertise to bring to the table to formulate advice to improve the co-ordination and delivery of a whole-of-government response to suicide and its impacts. I hope to engage with as many of you as possible over the next 15 months as we formulate that advice.
Warm regards,
Christine Morgan
Chief Executive Officer of the National Mental Health Commission and National Suicide Prevention Advisor to Prime Minister Scott Morrison
If you would like to make contact with Christine Morgan, contact the National Suicide Prevention Taskforce on SP.Taskforce@health.gov.au.
Join the Mental Health Australia team!
We have an exciting opportunity for a passionate Senior Project and Engagement Officer to join the team in Canberra, on a full-time basis.
Reporting to the National Project Manager, you will be responsible for developing key relationships and engaging with state and territory mental health services, Primary Health Networks, and other multicultural mental health stakeholders. This position will promote and support implementation of the Framework for Mental Health in Multicultural Australia (the Framework) and other elements of the Embrace Multicultural Mental Health Project (Embrace Project).
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The 2019 World Mental Health Day campaign is officially underway! The more organisations who commit to promoting awareness, the more we reduce the stigma surrounding mental health issues and play our part in creating a mentally healthy community. You can now order your FREE World Mental Health Day promotional material! We are also excited to announce that once again, in partnership with Bunnings Warehouse, we will be trying to break the World Record for the 'most people wearing high-visibility vests at a single venue'! This will be held in Townsville at Bunnings Fairfield Waters on World Mental Health Day - Thursday 10 October. Visit 1010.org.au/townsville/ to find out more.
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On Monday, I will be meeting with Valerie Spencer, Assistant Secretary, Department of Health, to discuss Psychosocial Support. Also on Monday, the policy team will be meeting with the Australian Bureau of Statistics to discuss mental health. On Tuesday, Harry Lovelock, Lachlan Searle and I will be attending the Parliamentary Friends of Suicide Prevention, World Suicide Prevention Day Breakfast at Parliament House. Also on Tuesday we will be having a teleconference with our Alliance partners FECCA and NEDA and I will be attending the Pharmacy Guild of Australia Parliamentary Dinner. On Wednesday morning, Harry Lovelock and I will be participating in a teleconference with David Tune to discuss the current review of the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 and developing a new legislated Participant Service Guarantee. On Wednesday afternoon Harry and I will be meeting with Ursula Stephens, CEO and Brenton Prosser, Director, Research from Catholic Social Services Australia. Following this I will be attending an event called In Their Sights, the dark arts of digital alcohol marketing which will be looking at today’s changing digital marketing landscape. On Friday I will be meeting with Ron de Jong of Grand Pacific Health, and also attending the Pharmacy Guild Corporate Luncheon. |
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