Parenting expert Justin Coulson announces loss of nephew to suicide

Much-loved parenting expert and TV personality Dr Justin Coulson has issued a gut-wrenching plea after the shattering news that his nephew has suicided at 20. It comes amid calls for real-time reporting of suicide deaths.

Parenting expert and father of six girls Dr Justin Coulson

A much-loved parenting expert and TV personality has broken the “heart shattering” news that his nephew has died at just 20.

Justin Coulson, a Sunshine Coast father of six girls known for his program Parental Guidance, announced on social media on Tuesday night that his nephew Logan had taken his own life on Sunday.

“Logan was the most energetic and delightful kid I know. Kind. Fun. Laughing all the time. My kids – his cousins – loved hanging out with Logan, and as his Uncle, I did too,” Dr Coulson said in his post.

“Logan was staying at my parents house the night he took his life. My mum and dad – his Nan and Pop – found him on Monday morning. Too late to help. Too late to do anything except scream, ‘No.’ ”

“Too late for him to hear them as they cried his name over and over again: "Logan! Logan! Logan! Logan!" "No, no, no, no, no!!!!"

Justin Coulson, a Sunshine Coast father of six girls known for his program Parental Guidance, announced on social media on Tuesday night that his nephew Logan had taken his own life.

“How do you hold the body of your grandson for the last time? That was what my parents did on Monday morning. How do you call your daughter, still celebrating a special weekend with her husband in Melbourne, and tell her that she needs to come home because her son – only 20 years old – has died?

“That was also what my parents did on Monday morning. And the ripple effect … as each new person discovers the awful truth. Logan is dead? How? Suicide? No! Not Logan! How can that be? He was so happy. No! Please no.

“Logan left a note. But the note won't bring peace or relief to anyone … Because he's dead.

‘How do you call your daughter, still celebrating a special weekend with her husband in Melbourne, and tell her that she needs to come home because her son – only 20 years old – has died?’

“I’m not doing so well. My heart is shattered. Shattered for Logan. But also for his parents and siblings, and for my parents. I don't want sympathy here though. That's not what this post is for.

“Here's what I want you to know: There are 9 suicides every single day in Australia. Seven of those nine suicides each day are men. Two of those nine are women. And suicide is the leading cause of death among young people (15-24 years). 36% of deaths in this age group are suicides.

Last year in Australia, there were 3249 deaths by suicide.

Logan, an energetic and passionate surfer, with some of his heroes.

More than half of all deaths by suicide (54.6%) in 2022 occurred in people aged 30–59 with 1,774 deaths, while 24.5% of suicide deaths occurred in people aged 60 and over (797 deaths), and 20.5% occurred in people aged 15–29 (665 deaths).

Suicide was the leading cause of death among people aged 15–44 in 2022 (ABS 2023). The highest suicide rate for males in 2022 occurred in those aged 85 and over (32.7 deaths per 100,000 population).

This is followed by males aged 45-49 (32.6), and males aged 50–54 (27.4).

Justin Coulson has been shattered by the death of his nephew.

The highest suicide rate for females was also among those aged 85 and over (10.6 deaths per 100,000 population), and the lowest was for females aged 65-69 (4.4).

The rate of suicide, often highest in remote and regional areas, has sparked calls for real-time data to be available nationally so authorities and support groups can target areas with the highest problem.

The call from Suicide Prevention Australia (SPA) is under serious consideration by the Queensland government.

NSW Health publishes monthly reports on suspected and confirmed deaths by suicide.

StandBy, Australia’s leading program dedicated to assisting people and communities bereaved or impacted by suicide, acting general manager Amanda Glenwright said research showed that for every one life lost by suicide up to 135 people are impacted, 10 of those people are significantly impacted.

Standby acting general manager Amanda Glenwright said the fact there was no timely national notification system for suicide notification made responding to an increased number of suicides within a particular community tricky.

“We are made aware through those systems in the various states and territories … all the states and territories are in different stages with their notification systems,” she said.

Dr Coulson is known for his parenting forum Happy Families and his hundreds of media appearances around the globe, including multiple columns in The Courier-Mail and Qweekend magazine.

In his lengthy post he urged people to speak up, get help and talk to others if struggling.

“Please, please, please, PLEASE be kind. Be compassionate. Be gentle. Be inclusive. Be supportive. Be less critical and judgmental and more of a cheerleader. Don’t be on your kid’s back (or your partner/spouses back). Instead, make sure you’ve got their back. Love them and make sure they know it. They have to know they matter.”

Dr Coulson also said the statement “I have no words” should not be used so readily when discussing a tragic event such as suicide.

“Colin (Campbell, author of Finding the Words) makes the point that when we say “there are no words” we are, in some sense, reducing the person’s life to nothing,” Dr Coulson said.

“We have to find the words, because the words we find tell the stories of those we love. And those stories help us to celebrate their life and our love for them.”