‘Suicide does not discriminate’ – says SA expert, as support service sees demand increase in November

Lack of intervention is leading to suicides, says an SA expert working on a national prevention plan. A remote psychologist is finding warning signs in farmers.

One of the state’s longest-serving suicide prevention programs “smashed” by demand is preparing for more need in the lead up to Christmas, as latest suicide rates show the impact is felt equally across country towns and city suburbs, and the rich and poor.

The Adelaide Suicide Prevention Service run by AnglicareSA is beginning to see demand increase again this month, edging closer to a capacity of assisting 45 people who have attempted suicide.

The service, which has been running since 2015, was helping 60 people in July.

“We were being smashed (after COVID-19) – we were well above capacity,” said AnglicareSA suicide prevention and grief support manager Michael Traynor.

Mr Traynor said while demand has stabilised in August and September, numbers were on the rise this month and expected to continue leading into Christmas.

Mr Traynor said understanding the triggers and stressors that could lead to a suicide attempt and then developing tailor-made plans to help eliminate or reduce them and the life skills to adapt, was known to help reduce further risk of another attempt.

The latest Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows almost 40 more South Australians died from suicide in 2019 than in 2018.

Suicide rates across the state’s local government areas (LGA) ranged from 17.6 per 100,000 people to 8.8.

The highest and lowest rates were shared equally among regional and metropolitan council areas and across socio-economic divides.

“Suicide does not discriminate,” said University of SA Professor Nicholas Procter, who heads the Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Group.

SA Professor Nicholas Procter – heads the Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Group and is the only SA representative on the National Suicide Prevention Taskforce charged with developing a suicide prevention plan in response to COVID-19. Picture: Mike Burton

Prof Procter is the only SA representative on the National Suicide Prevention Taskforce charged with developing a suicide prevention plan in response to COVID-19.

The task force’s recommendations are due to reach Prime Minister Scott Morrison before Christmas.

“No two people at risk of suicide present with the same developmental histories, life trajectories, risk factors, or current situational stressors,” Prof Procter said. “That’s why compassionate and individualistic approaches to prevention is what is needed if we are to drive down the nation’s suicide rate.” Prof Procter said every effort must be made by government and non-government agencies, the media and wider public to focus on education of the wide-ranging risk factors, warning signs and the need to obtain help sooner rather than later. “We are missing opportunities to prevent people dying by suicide or attempting to take their own lives every day because we don’t intervene early enough. This needs to change,” he said.

Suicide Prevention Australia CEO Neives Murray said we “can’t underestimate the impact that the events of COVID-19 is having today and into the future”.

“COVID-19 has amplified the factors we know link with distress and suicide, including unemployment, housing insecurity and financial stress,” Ms Murray said.

“Fortunately, recent suicide deaths data in NSW and Victoria show that in contrast to some of the predictions, we are not seeing a spike in suicide rates in 2020.

“This means that the protective measures put in place by Governments across Australia are having an impact.

“Of course, we can’t be complacent. The next months and years will be challenging and that’s why we will work closely with Government and our members to ensure we continue to strengthen the suicide prevention and mental health systems,” Ms Murray said.

More than 250 South Australians died by suicide last year.

It doesn’t have to be the end of the world

Stephanie Schmidt lives at World’s End.

It’s a locality 280km north of Adelaide, just east of Goyder’s Line – an invisible boundary, beyond which crops struggle to thrive on less than 30mm of rain a year.

It’s been dry for three years, says Steph – a mother of three boys aged 6, 3, and four months – who, with husband Simon, runs three sheep and grain farms.

This year, good rain has meant a promising harvest.

But that bring stresses too, she says. She is parenting solo while Simon works the fields.

Steph, 33, is a clinical psychologist who has spent years understanding the warning signs of poor mental health among higher-risk farmers.

Stephanie Schmidt is a clinical psychologist who has spent years understanding the warning signs of poor mental health among higher-risk farmers. Picture: Alysha Sparks

She has been developing and running online workshops to build mental health resilience among farming communities.

So, when she started noticing some well-read traits in her own behaviour about two weeks ago, she knew what to do.

“I’m experiencing post-natal depression,” she says.

“I suddenly realised I just can’t do it all. I was close to burn-out, so I have had to … slow down.”

Steph has met with her GP and her psychologist (via telehealth) who is three-hour round trip from home.

Access to mental health specialists in rural and remote SA is one of the drivers behind a unique prevention program Steph is about to pilot in SA next year. The 2020 SA AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award winner is aiming to train those “accidental counsellors”, such as bank managers, agronomists and accountants, who are the main community touchpoints for farmers and their families.

“The idea is to equip these accidental counsellors with simple skills in psychological flexibility so that they can share them in their daily interactions with farmers and small business owners,” Steph says.

They will then redirect their clients to a pool of online resources created by Steph.

She says the main mental health barriers in rural and remote communities are identifying risk and behaviours, the stigma which prevents asking for help, and then long waits to see a specialist.

“The aim is to reduce demand at the pointy end by giving the community the tools to use every day to improve their wellbeing and manage stress – it’s about building resilience,” Steph says.