Suicide rates of young South Australians in regional areas are the highest in the state, and rising
Suicide rates for young people across large parts of regional SA are considerably higher than the city. In most cases, they’re also rising. Here’s why.
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Suicide rates of young South Australians have risen across regional parts of the state as people in need struggle to access lifesaving help.
The rate of deaths is highest in regions spanning the Eyre and Fleurieu Peninsulas, the Far North and the South East, where analysis of the latest data shows a rise over the past decade.
Young people say it is difficult to find support for more complex or severe mental illness and there are too few specialists in the regions.
The Advertiser has launched Can We Talk, a campaign raising awareness of the pressures young people are facing and lobbying for increased support.
Joe Hooper, chief executive of advocacy charity Rural and Remote Mental Health, said telehealth services had increased options for country South Australians but they were “not a substitute” for face-to-face sessions.
“They also do not compensate for people who have got computer literacy issues or (internet) connectivity issues,” Mr Hooper said.
“People in country towns don’t necessarily want to pick up a 1300 number and call a person in the city.
“When it comes to rural people you really need people who understand them to talk to them, which is why the community-based options are often the best.”
Australian Bureau of Statistics data provided to The Advertiser shows where suicides of children and young adults have occurred across the state over the past decade.
In the region covering the South East, Riverland and Fleurieu there were 24 suicides by 5-24 year olds between 2016 and 2020. That was up from 15 deaths in the region in the previous five years.
It meant the rate of suicides among young people rose from seven deaths for every 100,000 young residents to 11.2. The area takes in towns including Mannum, Renmark, Mount Gambier, Robe and Victor Harbor.
Riverland MP and Opposition suicide prevention spokesman Tim Whetstone agreed telehealth was not a solution for everyone, especially younger children.
“There are visiting specialists, sometimes they come once a fortnight or once a month, otherwise families will have to drive to Adelaide or a larger regional centre to be able to access services or support,” Mr Whetstone said.
Isolation was a problem for people living on farms, orchards or properties away from the centre of country towns, but Mr Whetstone said the “strength” of regional communities lay in the connections between people.
“It still relies on the community eyes and ears to say we haven’t got the support services here so we’ll take it upon ourselves to go and check on people,” he said.
The ABS data showed the rate of suicides among 5-24 year olds remained steady across a region covering the Barossa, Yorke Peninsula and Mid North – including Port Pirie – at 4.7 deaths per 100,000 young people throughout the decade. Across the Adelaide Hills, eastern suburbs and CBD, the rate rose from 5.4 deaths per 100,000 young residents to 6.3 deaths.
In an area spanning the Outback, Far North and Eyre Peninsula, the rate of suicide deaths rose from 10 per 100,000 young people to 11.5. The region takes in major centres including Port Augusta, Whyalla, Port Lincoln and Ceduna.
Kids Helpline virtual services manager Tony Fitzgerald said often young people in regional areas “reach out to us because in some instances we are their only support that’s available”.
He said there were specific factors that contributed to poor mental health in remote areas.
“Youth unemployment rates in regional areas tend to be higher and there’s also higher degrees of social isolation,” he said.
StandBy Support After Suicide country SA co-ordinator Tracey Wanganeen said often young people may not know where to access help until they were in crisis.
“Unless you need a service you don’t necessarily know about them and then when you do need them and you’re in crisis, you don’t know how to access them,” she said.
CEO of ReachOut, Ashley de Silva, said it was important to remember that each recorded suicide death “represents a young person lost and a significant impact on those around them and their communities”.
“It is clear that we need new investments from Government in early intervention and prevention services to help to reduce suicide rates and to ensure that young people can easily access the support they need,” Mr de Silva said.
SA Health says teenagers aged 16 and older can seek support from 13 community mental health teams across the state, including Intensive Community Programs in Whyalla, Mount Gambier and Murray Bridge.
For those needing to be admitted for treatment, there are inpatient units in Mount Gambier, Whyalla and Berri.
There are also 23 beds set aside at the Glenside Mental Health Service campus – in Adelaide – for acutely ill patients from rural and remote SA.
The Digital Telehealth Network offers tele-psychiatry appointments via video conferencing.
Headspace offers counselling to people aged 12 to 25 and operate centres in Berri, Murray Bridge, Port Augusta and Whyalla.
The State Government has pledged to place 100 mental health specialists in schools, including 55 by the end of next year.
Schools trialling the roles already include high schools in Balaklava, Clare and Penola and John Pirie Secondary College.
Primary schools in the mid-north and southeast are also involved.
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