Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak today about an issue that is often not discussed publicly. Although we see ourselves as a progressive society, I feel there are still topics that are viewed as taboo. In my opinion, youth suicide is one of them. As Dan Haesler of the Sydney Morning Herald reported:

There is a silent killer in our schools, stalking the youth of Australia. It is silent because we don't talk about it. It is not cancer or obesity. It is suicide, and as many as five Australian children attempt it every day.

Suicide, particularly youth suicide, is a major public health issue in my home state of Tas­mania, where the rate is 18 per cent higher than the national rate. Both of my daughters during their year 10 high school years had classmates who committed suicide. Not only is the effect tragic for the family but the entire school community and the greater community suffer this devastating loss.

According to the ABS, in the 15- to 19-year-old age group suicide accounted for a total of 113 registered deaths in 2003. There can be many causes for youth suicide, inclu­ding depression, mental illness, body image issues and alcohol and drug related probl­ems. Statistics also tell us the location has an influence on suicide, with rates being higher in rural areas than in metropolitan areas. It has been found that youths in rural areas, and especially males, are twice as likely to commit suicide as those in the city. Suicide is a particularly devastating occurrence, with the effects on the family and the wider community being significant. Therefore, statistically, almost everyone in Australia is going to be affected by attempted suicide, death from suicide or the death of a loved one from suicide. There are approximately 2,000 deaths from suicide per year in Aus­tralia at present. It is estimated that more young people die from suicide than from car accidents. Eighty per cent of deaths from suicide occur in males and 80 per cent of all suicide attempts occur in females. This makes it quite clear that it can happen to anyone.

In 2002 suicide accounted for 25 per cent of all male deaths and 15 per cent of all female deaths in the 12- to 24-year age bracket. I would encourage you all to take a moment to properly digest these figures. Suicide accounted for 25 per cent of all male deaths and 15 per cent of all female deaths of individuals aged between 12 and 24 years. This is shocking and disturbing. It says to me that we—the community and this legisla­ture—must do more to prevent this tragic loss of life. For every death from suicide it is estimated there are 10 to 30 times as many attempted suicides or episodes of deliberate self-harm. According to headspace, the national mental health foundation, there are a number of reasons for self-harm:

It may be a way of telling other people about your distress and asking for help, a way of coping with stress or emotional pain, or a symptom of a mental illness like depression. Sometimes it suggests that you are thinking about suicide. Not everyone who self-harms is suicidal, but sometimes people die as a result of their self-harm behaviour.

It must be remembered that those who have attempted suicide are much more at risk than the rest of the population of eventually rep­eating the act but dying on the next attempt.

It has become quite clear to me that negative body image is a contributing factor to suicidal thoughts, attempted suicide and death through suicide in young people. I have spoken on a number of occasions in this place about my concerns about the negative body image issue. An example is that of body dysmorphic disorder, BDD. Put simply, this refers to a preoccupation with real or imagined physical defects. It has already been established that young people have a large amount of external pressure to look a particular way as prescribed by the media, celebrity culture and society's current opin­ion of 'beauty'. This strict view of 'attractive­ness' can lead to disorders such as BDD. A recent study has indicated that individuals who suffer from this disorder have far higher than average rates of suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts. People may become so distressed by the 'defect' that they avoid social situations or take great pains to camouflage what they see as their flaws. They often suffer from other psychiatric conditions as well, such as major depression, eating disorders or substance abuse prob­lems. In a recent study led by the Butler Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island, researchers found that of 200 people who had ever been diagnosed with BDD, 78 per cent said they had contemplated suicide at some point. More than one-quarter had actually tried to take their lives. ABC News recently reported:

Youth suicide rates have dropped during the past decade but it is still one of the main causes of death for people aged between 15 and 24. Suicide accounts for the deaths of one in four males and one in five females between the ages of 20 and 24.

In July this year Mr Steve Irons MP, federal member for Swan, had this to say to the Standing Committee on Health and Ageing:

Considering youth suicide prevention specifically, it is clear that family, friends and teachers have a significant role when it comes to managing the wellbeing of young people … The committee considers that it would be useful for parents, peers and teachers to be trained to recognise the signs of mental distress and be equipped to start a conversation providing 'at risk' young people with advice on the resources that are available or putting them in contact with a specialist service.

I could not agree more. In my opinion, we need to ensure the involvement of teachers, parents and peers to guarantee that young people are aware of every avenue of help available to them.

Recently, in my home state, my local member, Geoff Lyons MP, and I held a first speech competition. One young lady from Launceston College spoke about her desire to go into mental health and become a doctor to deal with mental health. She is in the process of establishing a group within that college environment for young people to be able to get together and support each other. She is a most passionate young woman. I can see our society, and particularly my home state, where I hope she will always remain, as being a great advocate for young people and people with mental health issues. She was an inspiration to me—an outstanding young person from Launceston. I again quote Dan Haesler, of the Sydney Morning Herald, who reported:

Schoolchildren spend more hours a week, face to face, with their teachers than with any other adult. The World Health Organisation tells us that our current crop of year 7 boys and girls will face a greater threat from depression than from any other disease by the time they reach 30.

That is alarming. As with everything, a comprehensive approach will achieve the best results and, on this particular matter, the support networks of family, peers and educa­tional professionals could make a dramatic difference. I would like to acknowledge all the wonderful work that is currently being undertaken by both government and non-government organisations in an effort to reach out to young people who are affected by suicidal thoughts, depression and other mental illnesses.

However, I would also like to encourage all Australians to continue a public discuss­ion about these issues to help remove the social stigma. Talk with one another about youth suicide, know the signs, recognise the risk and utilise the resources. As I have just mentioned, there are so many positive things that can help and will work that are being done by organisations to help people who suffer from mental illness. I would like to take a moment to acknowledge their amazing dedication and to outline some of the services that they provide to our community. The Kids Helpline is a counselling service for children and young people aged between five and 25. It operates 24 hours a day. Kids Helpline counselling responds to more than 6,000 calls each week about issues ranging from relationship breakdowns and bullying to sexual abuse, homelessness, suicide thoughts, drug and alcohol use. The tele­phone number is 1800 55 1800. Beyondblue, the national depression initiative, is another organisation that is there to help with any depression related problems. According to beyondblue:

Mental health problems are the major health issues that young Australians face. Adolescence and early adulthood are often periods of great change, for example, developing a sense of identity, becoming more independent from parents and taking on greater responsibility during the transition from school into work or higher education. The challenges faced by many young people can lead to emotional problems.

Most people have their first experience of depression during adolescence or young adulthood. Overall, it is estimated that 6 to 7% of young Australians aged 16 to 24 will experience depression in any year.

Beyondblue also point out:

Depression can be very disabling, especially if it is left untreated. Struggles with school, work or relationships can last longer and may lead to the person not achieving their full potential, be it at work or in their relationships. Depressive disorders are also the most common risk factor for suicide.

With this information in mind, it is helpful to know that there are organisations within our community whose express purpose is to help people cope with mental illness, depression and thoughts of suicide.

It is important to reiterate that depression can affect each and every one of us and it can be very debilitating within a family. My own family has been touched by depression. It has an enormous impact on families and it can be hereditary. But we have to talk about it, discuss it and take the necessary action to support not only our young people but all of those with any form of mental illness. According to Depression Counselling and Psychologist Services in Australia:

International research has repeatedly shown that at least 70% of people who commit suicide have done so when their feelings, thinking and ability to survive have been badly affected by depressive illness.

As a nation, I believe it is our responsibility to continue the conversation to help bring depression and youth suicide out of the shadows.

As I said at the beginning of my speech, my 15-year-old and 16-year-old daughters were each confronted by one of their peers taking their own life. These young men appeared to have everything before them. They were strong academically, great sports­people, prefects and role models for other students. On seeing the devastation to that family and the school environment I decided that I needed to speak to my daughters about depression and the experience of my family. I told them that it did not matter what their feelings were or what issues they were being confronted with; we—I, as a mother, and my husband—were there to talk to them. It would not be an issue of whether we would always respond in the way they might always like, and we may not always have agreed with some of their actions, but the door has to be open for young people. That is why I commend the many thousands of people who volunteer to help those who are suffering from mental illnesses, particularly when it comes to youth suicide. As I said earlier, the young girl at Launceston College is to me an outstanding role model. This is a young person who will be able to reach out to her peers and ensure that the stigma in our community is removed, because it is so terribly important that, whatever form of mental illness somebody is confronted with, they know that they are going to be heard, they are going to be listened to and there is help available for them.