Insight (1995)

Talking Suicide (2011x16)

: 07, 2011

More 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 He says guidelines for reporting suicide are outdated, and that the problem should be tackled head on, with a national campaign and statistics published regularly.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.