In the past six years 15,914 people died by suicide in Australia, equivalent to the population of an entire town.
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Statistics highlighting the prevalence of suicide are all too believable in Lithgow.
Ten residents have taken their own lives since November last year.
“That’s a cluster in a population of 20-21,000 people,” Lithgow Information and Neighbourhood Centre community hub manager, Kim Scanlon said.
“In a community of this size everyone knows someone who has gone or knows someone who knows somebody.
“I think that makes people feel vulnerable and concerned.”
Between July 16-17, LINC will be holding three free information sessions on ‘Understanding Suicide’ to be presented by former Lithgow resident and psychologist Jenni Collins.
Upcoming events
- Wednesday, June 28, Wesley Mission LifeForce will be holding a free all-day suicide prevention workshop. To RSVP call: 1800 100 024 or visit Eventbrite.
- Saturday, July 1, Lifeline Central West’s Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) course commences. Call: 1300 798 258
- Sunday-Monday, 16 and 17 July, three two-and-half hour information sessions on ‘Understanding Suicide’ will be held at LINC. To RSVP call: 6354 5910
“Community groups, Lithgow Workies and WILD have held fundraisers for suicide support. They have asked us to steward that money and develop local programs to address this issue,” Ms Scanlon said.
Apart from fostering awareness in communities, Stephanie Robinson, the support services manager at Lifeline Central West says suicide needs to be recognised as a national emergency.
“The numbers are terrible,” she said.
Lifeline Central West CEO, Alex Ferguson agrees.
“Regional everywhere [areas] has a suicide statistic about three times greater than the city. Where Aboriginal people are involved, the rate is twice that of non-Aboriginal people.
“Suicide is the highest cause of death in males and females under the age of 43.”
He said statistics, however, only tell part of the story.
“We need to get out and work in the community to try and lessen the issues people face,” he said.
“What causes the trauma over time can be relationships, money, gambling, problems with sexuality,” he said.
“Then there’s issues pertaining to loneliness, drugs and alcohol, as well as work. Disrupting workplaces disrupts people. Closures need to be managed responsibly by companies.”
Ms Scanlon said she did not know why so many recent suicides had occurred in Lithgow.
“I guess that’s why we are wanting to start the conversation, encourage people to come forward with their experiences and listen to why they think this is happening in our families and community.”
Call Lifeline on 13 11 14 for help in a crisis.
