Suicide increase as women struggle with coronavirus lockdown
Victorian women in their thirties and forties have emerged as being particularly vulnerable to self-harm during the pandemic.
Victorian women in their 30s and 40s have emerged as being particularly vulnerable to self-harm during the pandemic, with the number of suicides to the end of October for that group exceeding the total for 2019.
As of October 31, 35 women aged between 35 and 44 had committed suicide, compared with 29 for the previous year, a report by Victoria’s Coroners Court notes.
The report said there could be “an emerging elevated suicide frequency” in the age group, but the deaths remained under investigation.
Jo Robinson, a suicide prevention researcher with youth mental health organisation Orygen, said women had been cut off from their doctors, family and friends during lockdown, leaving them without support networks.
“There’s been less opportunity for women to access informal support and … for them to access the formal support they would usually use,” she said.
“I think that’s probably a bit different to what we see with men, who tend not to use formal or informal things in the first place.”
She said it was harder for women to reach out through platforms such as Zoom when they were housebound with their families, particularly if they had a controlling or violent partner.
“You might be able to be less open about some of the things that are troubling you if you have a difficult partner listening in the background to your call,” she said.
Victoria recorded a total of 580 suicides by the end of October, representing a decrease of 20 compared to the same period last year, with men accounting for three out of four deaths.
More women than men attempt suicide, and between 2018 and 2019 nearly 19,000 women across Australia were hospitalised because of self-harm.
A Victorian Department of Health and Human Services spokeswoman said while they remained under investigation, each death represented a tragedy. “We know 2020 has been an extremely difficult year for all Victorians — that’s why we’ve acted quickly to strengthen the surge capacity of clinical mental health services in Victoria,” she said.
The state government is seeking expressions of interest to establish a dedicated women’s mental health service.
Lifeline: 13 11 14; or Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636
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