Suicide

I often wonder how many suicides are recorded as road accidents or workplace deaths but even without that information for it would only be speculation the recorded suicide numbers in Australia are high enough to reflect our stigma to this.

I guess this issue borders on the imaginary line in the sand of what is workplace health and safety and what the employee takes home. It also depends on how many in the health and safety field actually believe mental and spiritual health is important or relevant.

In defence we can offen directly link a suicide with the work activity, this is the nature of the work these brave people do. (that doesn't mean we don't try and improve things, especially on the spiritual side when dealing with death).

But in other instances work may not be the direct contributor or a range of different variations between the two extremes.

But not doing enough about those factors that are contributed from workplace or could be, is a reflection on the stigma of not wanting to know.

But we are in health and safety and if we don't want to know about the issues and factors contributing to suicide then we shouldn't be in the field of health and safety.

A reflection of not doing enough, or maybe just listening enough is:
HE FACTS ARE:

* 2,683 people took their own lives in Australia during 1998.8
* Which means an average of seven suicides per day.9
* For every completed suicide there are over 30 attempts.10
* Therefore there are over 210 people a day attempting suicide.
* There are 8.5 times more deaths by suicide in Australia than by homicide (2683 suicides compared to 307 homicides).
* There are 1.5 times more deaths by suicide in Australia than by road accidents (2683 suicides compared to 1713 road accidents).

GENDER FACTS

* 2,150 of these suicides were males.9
* Male suicides outnumber female suicides by a ratio of 4:1.
* The all-age standardised rates of male suicide registered in 1997 and 1998 were the highest since 1963 and, before that, 1931.9
* Suicide is the leading external cause of death among men.9
* Suicide is the second leading cause of death among 25 - 44 year old males.9
* Suicide rates for males increased from 16.5 in 1979 to 23.1 in 1998.9
* Suicide rates for females decreased from 6.6 in 1979 to 5.7 in 1998.9
* For every completed male suicide there are five attempts.
* For every completed female suicide there are 35 attempts.
* Homosexuality issues may be involved in up to one third of young men under 24 who suicide.11
To any people contemplating suicide and reading this, know if you take that path it doesn't get any easier. There is one that loves you more than you know and with that love comes hope. If you want to know more about the strength and love Jesus can give drop into you local pastor.

Regards
Daniel