Toowoomba’s self-harm and suicide rates are highest in country: Mental health clinician

The impacts of the coronavirus on the mental health of locals has been fully revealed, with new data suggesting Toowoomba’s suicide rates are the highest in the country.

A mental health crisis is gripping the nation, but new data is suggesting the grip is being felt tighter around the Darling Downs.

Numbers from the region’s newest mental health hospital, The Toowoomba Clinic, and the Darling Downs and Wester Moreton Public Health Network suggests that the suicide rates in the Darling Downs region are the worst in the country.

The Toowoomba Clinic director Graham Higgins said the suicide rates were already high in the region prior to the pandemic, but mental health issues had been exacerbated during COVID-19.

In 2019, the Darling Downs and West Moreton health region experienced 21.4 suicide deaths per 100,000 people compared to the national average which sat just above 10.

The Toowoomba Clinic was opened by a group of local mental health practitioners, and already in two months of operation, they were exceeding their projects.

“At present there is a shortage of clinicians, an increase in patients and ever growing queues for help,” Mr Higgins said.

“This Public Health Network region is not exactly remote being on the western edge of metropolitan Brisbane yet the lack of Australian trained Psychiatrists who are willing to live in Toowoomba to support patients in this region means we have some of the worst mental health outcomes in Australia.”

In a letter penned to Mr Higgins regarding the District of Workforce Shortage, Regional Health, Regional Communications Minister and Parkes MP Mark Coulton said the government was committed to providing quality and affordable healthcare to everyone “no matter where they live”.

“To assist with the recruitment of medical professionals, the Government funds a network of seven Rural Workforce Agencies, one in each state and the Northern Territory, assist communities that experience difficulties attracting the retaining health professionals into regional, rural, and remote areas,” the letter read.

“These agencies work with local practices, communities and other organisations to ensure that a skilled, well-supported health workforce serves rural Australia.”

Mr Higgins said requests to remedy the situation in the region and appeals for more mental health services had fallen on deaf ears because the Department of Health used census data, including population numbers and Medicare billing, to gauge the ratio between specialists and patients.

He said 70 per cent of patients being treated by specialists at The Toowoomba Clinic were from outside of Toowoomba, and the demand for treatment was only increasing.

“The Regional Health Minister has flagged to us that a review is currently being undertaken by a Distribution Advisory Group within the Health Department to determine whether it is appropriate to continue using the current methodology,” Mr Higgins said.

“Our argument is that census data does not change annually as it is only updated every four years.

“Having an annual review using data many years out of date is absurd.

“The best way to measure access to mental health is to look at the length of queues to see a psychiatrist and psychologist which in Toowoomba have doubled in the last 12 months.

“We predict our region’s suicide rate will be even higher this year because patients are being forced to wait up to six months to see a psychiatrist.”

The Toowoomba Clinic clinical director Dr Andrea Boros-Lavack said investments into group therapy needed to be made a priority as the region continued to feel the burden of the pandemic.

“The mental health fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic has only made the situation worse with more people suffering from mental health issues, arising from economic hardship, domestic violence, anxiety, depression, increased consumption of alcohol, relationship breakdowns and loss of employment,” she said.

“Asking vulnerable people to wait up to six months to see a psychologist or psychiatrist means the mental health crisis in our region is going to get much worse before it gets better.”

If this article has affected you, or you know someone struggling with their mental health, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636.