Insight (1995)
Talking Suicide
TV-G
2011 • E16 Jun 7, 2011 60mMore Australians die from suicide than on our roads, but it's hardly ever talked about publicly.
Fears of copycat suicides have meant the topic is a virtual no-go area, with the media, police and film makers avoiding the issue in detail.
However, there's debate around whether this is the best approach.
The award-winning Australian mental health expert Pat McGorry thinks not. He says guidelines for reporting suicide are outdated, and that the problem should be tackled head on, with a national campaign and statistics published regularly.
The current guidelines are maintained by a government-funded organization called Mindframe. They say there’s strong evidence of a link between reporting of suicides and increases in suicide attempts.
Join Insight for a frank and powerful look at how Australia is talking about suicide and whether it is working.
Fears of copycat suicides have meant the topic is a virtual no-go area, with the media, police and film makers avoiding the issue in detail.
However, there's debate around whether this is the best approach.
The award-winning Australian mental health expert Pat McGorry thinks not. He says guidelines for reporting suicide are outdated, and that the problem should be tackled head on, with a national campaign and statistics published regularly.
The current guidelines are maintained by a government-funded organization called Mindframe. They say there’s strong evidence of a link between reporting of suicides and increases in suicide attempts.
Join Insight for a frank and powerful look at how Australia is talking about suicide and whether it is working.