Preventing Indigenous suicide
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What is the current suicide rate among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and why is it a crisis?
This is an ABC podcast.
Uh hello. Uh my name is Rowena Cox. Um I'm from Hall Street, which is up in the Kimberleys in WA. Um I'm a girl woman. I'm a community liaison officer in the Kimberley Aboriginal Suicide Prevention Trial. That's happening yeah, as we speak.
It's all in the mind in this NADOC week twenty twenty. I'm Lynn Malcolm. It's estimated that Australian Indigenous suicide rates are at least double the general population. And amongst the young, it's five times higher. Today we hear from researchers, practitioners and those with lived experience who are dedicated to stemming the tide of suicide in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. If you're disturbed by anything in today's programme, you can call for support on Lifeline 131114.
I lost my son to suicide. Back in two thousand and twelve. He was nineteen years old. He was going through his own personal issues. such as drug and alcohol problems, also relationships problems. Wasn't aware that he di he had a mental health issue. But he did seem a bit down. a time before taking his life. Um it was very devastating because back then I I did not realise all the issues. I mean I was actually going through a lot my own personal life and I didn't really notice Or the issues that He was confronting. Until after he had passed away. When I came to the conclusion and I got closure on What was happening in his cloud? At that time. which I discovered, you know, was the effects of drugs and alcohol and also relationship problems.
Rowena Cox, more from her shortly about her passion for suicide prevention amongst her people.
Uh Jacqueline McGowan Jones. I'm the CEO at Fiddley Limited and we deliver The National Indigenous Post Venture Service. which is support after suicide for Aboriginal and Trusted Islander families and communities.
Thank you. How would you describe the current incidents of indigenous suicide in this country?
Uh unacceptably high. And a crisis for our communities.
the issues for me and for our organisation. uh that we're not seeing a reduction in suicide for our Aboriginal and Toreston Islander peoples. We see that there are still a significant number of young people, so Of the incidents that have been reported to us, and I need to stress that not every incident is reported to us. But of the incidents reported to us. This year of seventy six completed suicides. More than fifty percent of those were people under the age of thirty five. And the youngest was a nine year old, so The numbers are absolutely tragic. We've had eleven children and young people aged under eighteen take their own life this year. Each of those will Male and three were female. There is a considerable concern about the increasing number of females taking their own lives.
The challenge I think we have for Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander people taking their own lives is that we have Young people far exceeding the numbers in the broader population. The broader population tends to have suicides in the over forty age groups. Бінарці. They're in the under thirty five.
Jacqueline McGowan Jones, CEO of Therly in the Northern Territory. Professor Pat Dudgeon is a Badi woman from the Kimberley. a leading figure in suicide prevention. She's a psychologist and poche research fellow at the School of Indigenous Studies at the University of Western Australia. She explains the key drivers for this indigenous suicide crisis.
All suicides, whether they're indigenous or not, have a whole range of different issues behind them. For indigenous people though, we do have elevated suicide rates and we're not alone in that. Across the globe in countries that you'd call settler countries where there's an indigenous population that have been colonised by um a dominant society, there is a high suicide rate. For us here in Australia there's a whole range of different issues, but it could be, you know, relationship problems, either conflict with a partner or relationship breakdowns, family, interpersonal conflict.
How does Rowena Cox’s personal story illustrate the impact of suicide on families?
There's bereavement, depression, anxiety issues associated with alcohol or substance abuse, involvement in the justice system, or pending legal matters.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
What is the current suicide rate among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and why is it a crisis?
0:02–5:17
2
How does Rowena Cox’s personal story illustrate the impact of suicide on families?
5:17–12:18
3
What are the main risk factors versus true causes of Indigenous suicide according to researchers?
12:18–19:49
4
How does trauma – especially inter‑generational and attachment trauma – drive suicidal behaviour?
19:49–25:31
5
What post‑vention services does the Indigenous Critical Response Service provide for grieving families?
25:31–32:54
6
How are culturally‑appropriate assessment tools changing suicide prevention practice?
32:54–36:24