March 10, 2016
Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester says more can be done to keep talking about suicide to remove the stigma and build resilience in youn people.
New figures released this week by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) show suicide was the leading cause of death nationally among young people in 2014.
Federal Member for Gippsland Darren said suicide was responsible for more deaths than car accidents or drug overdosesor land transport accidents among 15-44 year olds.
The ABS report showed two thirds of deaths in this age bracket were considered to be potentially avoidable.
Mr Chester said one of the greatest challenges was to reduce or remove the stigma about suicide and for community leaders to talk about suicide and mental illness in a responsible and rational manner.
“These figures are devastating, there is no other way to describe this,” Mr Chester said.
“We are talking about someone’s brother or sister, mother or father, friend or cousin.”
The Federal MP said the subject had been ‘off-limits’ for too long and this was detrimental.
“If suicide remains a taboo subject in our community and friends and family don’t get the chance to talk about what happened, how does the grieving process really get started?” he said.
“If we are not prepared to talk about it and get a better understanding of what happened, as a community we won’t learn from that experience.
“We have such a very long way to go, and we need to challenge the taboo in raising this topic for a broader national conversation.”
The ABS reported suicide accounted for more than one third of all deaths for males aged 15 to 19 years.
“Young males, in particular those from regional areas, are one of the highest risk categories for premature death from suicide,” Mr Chester said.
“This a very complex and difficult challenge for us to deal with, and there is plenty of good work that has been done at many different levels in our community.
“Youth suicide can be seen as a permanent solution to what may have been a temporary problem. Young people can be impetuous; they can take action without fully understanding the consequences.
“But, with support and treatment and early intervention, I am sure that we can help to save lives.”
Mr Chester said community groups were essential for building resilience amongst young people.
“We need to build capacity among our community volunteers so they can help young people build their resilience and take on challenges in a controlled manner,” he said.
“We need to learn as a community how to help young people build their self-esteem.”
Mr Chester said awareness and training would be the first step.
“I think the key point to remember is that we can help. We can all save lives,” he said.
“Anyone who has regular contact with young people is in a position where they may be able to offer assistance with the right training.
“As someone who is directly involved in surf lifesaving, I get to meet hundreds of young people in Gippsland every year. Even among this confident and capable group of young people you find issues of self-esteem.
“We need to let them know it’s OK to talk about issues they are experiencing and to seek professional help.”
Mr Chester attended a celebration of the Partners in Recovery program last week in Sale, which has achieved success in building resilience in people who have experienced a serious mental health crisis.
“The clear message from the Partners in Recovery model is that there is hope for everyone and with the right support they can recover,” Mr Chester said.
Crisis helplines: Lifeline on 13 11 14 Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467 Kids Helpline ( for young people aged 5 to 25 years) 1800 551 800.