Page 1468 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 28 March 2012
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The submission quotes Newspoll research conducted by Lifeline in 2009, which showed that a low proportion of respondents—23 per cent—believed those who were suicidal would tell someone about it. Some 70 per cent of respondents generally doubted that a person who had considered suicide would tell someone else about it. This finding was consistent across most demographic groups.
The submission notes that this shows the investment that needs to be made in suicide awareness education and campaigns. A significant segment of the community is unable to talk about suicide. It could also be argued that many respondents are not empowered to read the signs of someone who is suicidal and trying to communicate their sense of hopelessness.
In discussing this motion today and addressing the issues of stigma, it is important to acknowledge that we do not want to sensationalise or normalise intentions of self-harm. It is also acknowledged that, in reporting on suicide, there are sensitivities and the need to avoid details such as method and location. However, we must not be so scared about discussing the issue as to avoid public discussion on the matter altogether.
Mindframe have developed guidelines on how the matter should be discussed in the media. For example, there are guidelines for elected representatives such as us, which I will refer to in my speech. The guidelines advise that, in order to avoid presenting suicide as a desired outcome or glamorising a suicide attempt, members of parliament should use the terms “non-fatal” or “made an attempt on his or her life” rather than the term “unsuccessful suicide”. And instead of “committed” or “commit” suicide we should say “died by suicide.”
Mindframe is best known for its journalist guidelines, which advise the media to avoid discussing the method and location of suicide so that vulnerable people will not copy the act. Mindframe does, however, maintain that it is important to talk about suicide. It is an important issue of community concern, and in general having a conversation with someone does not increase suicidal behaviour.
Subparagraph (1)(e) and paragraph (2) of my motion ask the Assembly to note two important recommendations from the Senate committee report and call on the ACT Minister for Health to implement these key recommendations. These recommendations are: the commonwealth government as part of a national strategy with state, territory and local governments for suicide prevention set an aspirational target for the reduction of suicide by the year 2020; and that national figures on suicide be released to the Australian public biannually, at a minimum, in an effort to raise community awareness about suicide and should be provided together with information about available services and support.
One of the main proponents for the idea of suicide reporting has been 2010 Australian of the Year, Professor Patrick McGorry. He has argued for the number of deaths from suicide to be widely reported, just like the road toll, to raise awareness of the extent of the issue. He says:
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