Suicide is the leading cause of
death for young Australians, claiming the lives at least 281 15-24
year olds in 2008. Although suicide is a tragedy at any age, youth
suicide generates extreme levels of distress and loss in Australian
communities.
Suicide Prevention Australia last week launched the Youth Suicide
Prevention position statement. The position statement is the
result of collaboration between representatives from Suicide
Prevention Australia, The Inspire Foundation, Youth
Beyondblue, Curtin University, Twenty10, Principals Australia, The
Black Dog Institute, Headspace, AISRAP, Carers Australia, Youth
Focus and Lifeline. The alliance was led by Jo Robinson from Orygen
Youth Health and Dr Michael Dudley, Chair of Suicide Prevention
Australia.
The resulting paper consolidates some previously inaccessible
information on youth suicide and outlines the current
programs and initiatives in place in
Australia to tackle it. Drawing on international evidence the
position statement also puts forward some recommendations on how we
can become better at preventing youth suicide in Australia.
Recommendations include: removing structural
barriers to youth wellbeing; targeting risk factors and increasing
protective factors for suicide prevention, involving young people
in the design and implementation of youth suicide prevention
programs; increasing research and
access to online services; focussing on
early intervention in youth mental illness; reducing the
stigma of asking for help; providing
gatekeeper training for adults; and inclusion of suicide
prevention mechanisms in the school curriculum.
School-based programs
Schools are seen as a key setting for suicide prevention
programs. It is estimated that over 80% of young people have a
limited risk of suicide and that universal curriculum programs are
therefore sufficient to protect their mental health. Australian
schools "play a vital role in promoting the intellectual, physical,
social, emotional, moral, spiritual and aesthetic development of
young Australians" (Ministerial Council on Education Employment,
Training and Youth Affairs 2008). As a primary location for
targeting young people, school-based programs offer an opportunity
to promote suicide protective factors and reduce risk factors among
youth populations.
School-based programs have been dominant since the development
of the National Youth Suicide Prevention Strategy in 1995, and
generally aim to promote mental health and wellbeing, and build
resilience and coping mechanisms. In Australia, most universal
programs provide teaching resources to supplement or be integrated
into the curriculum. Teacher, school counsellor and, at times,
parent training are also an integral component of school-based
programs. A whole-of-school approach to positive mental health is
promoted, including activities to create a school environment that
values the holistic needs of youth.
Gatekeeper Training
Gatekeepers are individuals who are trained and resourced to
recognise and respond to suicide risk in others. Teachers have been
recognised as the primary gatekeepers in youth suicide prevention
(Kutash et al. 2006). Professional standards for teacher training
were released by the Australian Institute of Teaching and School
Leadership last month and provided an opportunity to incorporate
mental health first aid and suicide prevention gatekeeper training
into teacher education. Unfortunately, the education policy makers
overlooked such a vital aspect of the teacher's role.
The Reach Out Teachers Network
and our key partners are lobbying for access to mental health first
aid training for all school staff. Teachers must have an
understanding of what to look out for and
what to do if they are concerned about a student. Where it has
occurred, positive results for teacher and school counsellor
gatekeeper training have been found, with improved knowledge,
attitudes and intervention skills observed in trainees, as well as
their satisfaction with the training (Gould et al. 2003a).
Want to find out more ...
The Youth Suicide
Prevention position statement and an executive
summary are available from the Suicide Prevention Australia
website.