Everyone needs to be part of the rural suicide solution

The Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health (CRRMH) and key community partners met to determine the actions needed to reduce rural suicide rates.

Following last year’s Rural Suicide Prevention Forum at the show and the subsequent launch of the CRRMH’s position paper on “Rural Suicide and its Prevention”, community partners identified key issues that should be considered when planning and implementing suicide prevention strategies and approaches for rural settings.

The forum was developed with the support of the NSW Mental Health Commission.

It focused on three key areas as identified in the CRRMH’s position paper, including:

CRRMH director Professor David Perkins said the show forum provided an appropriate opportunity to follow up and build on the excellent discussion at last year’s forum by taking the conversation to the next level of action planning.

“This year the forum is about bringing together influential stakeholders from mainly non-health backgrounds to discuss and review the three focus areas in more detail,” he said.

“The challenge of decreasing rural suicide is not just the responsibility of health – a standpoint outlined in our position paper.

“Everyone needs to be part of the solution.”

Politicians, industry leaders, key policy makers, representatives from government organisations and NGOs, people with lived experience, as well as other key rural stakeholders have been strategically invited to the event to look at the issues from different perspectives.

The Governor of NSW  David Hurley and the NSW Mental Health Commissioner Catherine Lourey took part.

“Having these key people as well as representatives from the Indigenous community, education and industry demonstrates that a collaborative approach is what is needed if we are to reduce rural suicide rates,” Professor Perkins said.

Ms Lourey said the conversation was timely as the commission was developing the Strategic Framework for Suicide Prevention in NSW on behalf of the NSW government.

“The framework project already involves consultation with stakeholders across the suicide prevention sector in NSW including all tiers of government, Primary Health Networks, community managed organisations, clinical and professional representatives, individuals with a lived experience of attempted suicide and suicide bereavement and the broader community,” she said

“This forum will add significantly to this body of knowledge.

“We need to ensure the unique issues related to rural suicide prevention are included in the framework.

“The rate of suicide in Indigenous communities is a significant priority for the framework.

“The CRRMH has provided a very valuable opportunity for all of us to learn more.”

Professor Perkins said the suggestions made at the forum would contribute to the NSW government framework as well as inform CRRMH research priorities and programs in rural suicide prevention.

“This is the time to take the recommendations outlined in our position paper and empower leaders and members of communities to think about how they can implement these in their own areas of work to reduce suicide attempts and deaths”, he said.

“The CRRMH welcomes the opportunity to partner with organisations that wish to take action and have a positive, downward impact on rural suicide.”