Friday marked the end of End Youth Suicide Week (Monday, February 13 to Friday, February 17), but also, the beginning of the conversation.
The week was hosted by peer-led youth intervention organisation Youth Insearch, and encouraged Australians to defy the stigma associated with mental health, and to openly talk about suicide with their friends, families and communities.
Youth Insearch supports at-risk youth in Gippsland, Goulburn, and Greater Melbourne to overcome trauma and improve their mental health.
Parliament House, on Tuesday, set the scene for a thought-provoking event hosted by young people who have overcome significant adversity, featuring the Hon Ged Kearney MP, Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care; Ms Melissa McIntosh MP, Shadow Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention; chief executive Youth Insearch Stephen Lewin; and clinical lead at Youth Insearch Leanne Hall, and supported by an installation on the front lawn, representing the 402 young Australians aged 15 to 24 who took their own lives in 2021.
According to Mr Lewin, the time is now for Australia to realise there is an urgent need to support the current government model, which features Headspace as the sole provider of mental health services. Especially true for those who have experienced trauma, and do not consider traditional methods when it comes to seeking help.
“Suicide remains the biggest killer of Australians aged 14 to 24 years. We know that 20 per cent of those young people who present for mental health support have experienced complex trauma from three or more adverse life events,” he said.
“We know that complex trauma increases the risk of suicidality.
“So, when we consider that those who have experienced trauma are unlikely to present to traditional psychologists, who may represent the same adults or authority figures who have let them down in life – it starts to become clear that as a nation, we need to find another solution,” he said.
Youth Insearch is a not-for-profit organisation delivering trauma-informed, peer-to-peer and lived experience support in conjunction with traditional clinicians, and has spent the last 12 months lobbying government, to offer a support solution to the existing model, which in their home state of NSW has recently seen the rate of young women suiciding almost double (40 per cent).
While those who have lost their lives to suicide are often referred to as the ‘missing middle’, Youth Insearch prefers the ‘forgotten middle’, forgotten by a system currently not meeting their needs.
Recently appointed chairman of Youth Insearch, Shane Fitzsimmons, said peer to peer support is vital for everyone, young people and adults.
“When we journey through difficult times, finding out that your thoughts and feelings are normal is an important part of life,” he said.
“To be vulnerable, to open up to people who may have had a similar journey, who are offering you support is some of the best help you can receive in life.”
NSW-based Marlie Thomas attempted suicide before being referred to Youth Insearch by headspace in 2017.
After experiencing the trauma of losing a best friend to suicide, sexual assault, and the impacts of foster care, Marlie was not sure where to turn.
“Before reaching Youth Insearch, I had attended three counsellors, and a few psychologists, but it was not until I discovered Youth Insearch that I sought help to resolve my trauma, began to engage in the process, and stopped using drugs and self-harming,” she said.
“Before coming to Youth Insearch, I was a traumatised, angry, and vulnerable young person, due to the many horrific experiences I faced as a young person.
“I had no ambition, no goals and wanted nothing to do with life. Youth Insearch taught me different ways to cope and work through the issues that brought me to the program. I now have goals, and live my life doing what I love most.”
Marlie was one of seven young people hosting the Parliament House event to acknowledge End Youth Suicide Week, exploring solutions to the nation’s alarming suicide rates, and asking why a trauma-informed approach is currently not part of the government model.
According to Mr Fitzsimmons, over the last five years, resilience has been tested like never before, especially in rural and remote communities across Australia.
“It is programs such as Youth Insearch, and the initiatives they support which must play an integral role in mental health services for our young people,” he said.
“The existing government model needs a lift, and there is no doubt, Youth Insearch has the solution. We just need to bring the two models together to make a difference in the lives of the many young people currently suffering and at the risk of suicide.
To find out more about Youth Insearch or to download the Forgotten Middle report, visit youthinsearch.org.au or eysw.com.au
If you need immediate assistance, please call crisis services Lifeline on 13 11 14
Kids Help Line on 1800 55 1800
Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467
If your life is in danger, please call 000
For non-crisis support, call Youth Insearch on 1800 805 635
