Mental Health 360: Dissecting the devastating toll of a national crisis and how to help more Australians

News Corp’s new investigation looks at the devastating toll of mental health on Australians, what’s causing it and how we can find more solutions.

3318. That’s the number of Australians - mums, dads, grandparents. aunties, uncles, children, nieces and nephews - who took their own life in 2019.

1195. That’s the number of Australians who died on our roads that same year.

So why do we talk openly about one and not the other?

News Corp Australia this week launches Mental Health 360, bringing together mental health experts and those touched by it first-hand. Panel experts include former Australian of the Year Professor Patrick McGorry, Sydney University’s Professor Ian Hickie, child psychiatrist Professor Jon Jureidini, Chris Turton who lost his son Dan to suicide, Kids Helpline CEO Tracy Adams and country music star and Rural Adversity Mental Health Program ambassador Melinda Schneider.

Together with Sky News’ Peter Stefanovic and News Corp senior journalists Sue Dunlevy, Ben Pike, Natasha Bita and Kathy McCabe, Mental Health 360 dissects what is arguably the biggest issue impacting Australians.

We will look at the devastating toll of this national tragedy and the areas across Australia that are impacted.

“If the cause of death were something different - like drownings or car accidents - it would be in people‘s faces and on the front page,” Professor McGorry said.

“But because of the taboo, and that it is not spoken about freely, it’s muffled conversation, tinged with shame still. Suicide is still a largely hidden death toll.

We will discuss solutions and arm you with all the information you need to help yourself or a loved one seeking help.

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Originally published as Mental Health 360: Dissecting the devastating toll of a national crisis and how to help more Australians