Australia's suicide trend is on the increase. Where is the majority of that coming from? Ex-Senator David Leyonhjelm says family breakdown and on that point, we'd concur. He goes on to say:
"Organisations that support men during episodes believed to predispose to suicide, such as relationship break-up, loss of children, false allegations of violence, unemployment and loss of homes and assets, languish for lack of support."
In recent history, the largest single group of Australians taking their lives has been men after separation. That this is so rarely said by those in authority, and that it seemingly sits so low in national funding priorities, says a great deal about our collective understanding of the issue.
Parents Beyond Breakup through its frontline Dads in Distress support service and national campaign DadsAlive! is pretty much it as far as specialised / dedicated support for Australian men feeling traumatised or suicidal post separation goes. Arguably, Aussie dads and their kids deserve better.
Leyonhjelm mentions Suicide Prevention Australia (SPA) in his article, and they have responded to his comments here. Importantly, SPA act to provide informed insight and recommendation to government but it is government that ultimately decide where they spend on support services. In our experience, SPA have been a positive voice and supporter of male suicide prevention.
If you're a dad needing help, or a mum or someone helping a struggling mum of dad, we're here to help. Help can be accessed for dads, mums and extended family and friends. We also have a national helpline on 1300 853437.
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