The Tasmanian Government has today released the second Report to the Tasmanian Government on Suicide in Tasmania.
This significant report enables us to build upon our understanding and will inform the next Tasmanian Suicide Prevention Strategy, to be developed in 2022, to help more Tasmanians into the future.
The Report uses data from the Tasmanian Suicide Register and provides an in-depth analysis of the 505 deaths reported to, and investigated by, Tasmanian coroners from 1 January 2012 to 31 December 2018.
They each had people who loved and cared about them – people who now miss them and grieve their loss.
Their deaths have had a devastating and widespread impact on their families, friends, children, workmates, and communities, and I offer my deepest sympathies.
It is important to recognise that the reasons people take their own life are complex and not always connected to mental illness.
The Tasmanian Suicide Register, which has been in operation since 2017, provides the most comprehensive information that has ever been made available on the impact of suicide on the lives of Tasmanians and the circumstances and stressors preceding their deaths.
It puts us in a much stronger position to target assistance for people at risk of suicide.
I am deeply committed to working with all Tasmanians to ensure that everyone who experiences suicidal distress can access compassionate care when they need it.
Suicide prevention is a whole-of-government, whole-of-community issue, and it is up to us all to do what we can to support each other, to reach out to others in times of disruption and distress, and to help build hope for the future.
I thank Tasmanian Coroner Olivia McTaggart for her continued support of the Register and for providing access to the data.
The Report includes key findings such as:
The Report is available at Tasmanian Suicide Register Report | Mental Health
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If reading this report causes distress, please seek timely support from Lifeline on 13 11 14, Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636, or 000 in an emergency.
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