Thursday, 30 November 2023

Suicide prevention

Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (12:01): (383) My question is to the Minister for Mental Health. Minister, in 2016 the Victorian government launched the 10-year suicide prevention strategy. This included a commitment by the government to halving the number of deaths by suicide in Victoria by 2025. Tragically, the government has failed this target. Rather than half the suicide rate, there have already been five more deaths to suicide this year than in 2016. Minister, why has the government broken its promise to halve the suicide rate?

Ingrid STITT (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (12:02): I thank Ms Crozier for her question. Of course from the outset I want to acknowledge how sensitive and how distressing these issues can be for those people in the community who have tragically lost a loved one to suicide. Of course each death by suicide is one too many, and there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that it is an area of policy that we need to continue to make every effort to have a positive impact on in our community. That is one of the reasons why we are working so hard to reform our mental health system through the significant report from the royal commission into mental health and wellbeing and the 74 recommendations that flowed from that royal commission. Certainly suicide prevention is a big focus of that work. We have committed significant resources to addressing suicide and to helping promote prevention, particularly for rural and regional communities, where we know there is a particular issue that needs to be addressed.

In terms of the number of suicides that have been reported, of course the coroner does report annually the number of suicides that we see in the community, and those figures are troubling. I acknowledge that there has been an increase in those numbers. Obviously the factors that contribute to suicide are often very complex, and so for that reason I do not think it is wise for us to draw conclusions about the reasons behind those numbers. But what I will say is that behind those numbers are the stories of individuals and their loved ones, and the government remain absolutely committed to doing whatever we can in terms of both our direct investments into this area and our continued implementation of the royal commission recommendations to make sure that we do everything we can to try to address this issue in the community.

Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (12:04): Minister, thank you for your response. Yes, it is a complex issue and of course there are many factors, and unfortunately the lockdowns and other aspects have contributed to too many people tragically taking their lives. Last year saw the highest number of Victorian deaths by suicide on record, yet there have been 25 more tragic deaths by suicide this year than at the same time last year. Minister, why can’t Victorians in distress get the mental health support they desperately need?

Ingrid STITT (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (12:05): Thank you, Ms Crozier, for your supplementary question. I do want to reiterate that I personally do not want to draw any conclusions about what can often be very complex reasons behind each of these statistics. As I have said, behind these statistics is the tragic aftermath of these events. In the rebuilding of the mental health system in Victoria there has been a very strong focus through the recommendations of the royal commission on early intervention and –

Georgie Crozier interjected.

Ingrid STITT: I am answering your question, so let me continue – making sure that regardless of where you live in the state you have access to local services throughout the community. That goes to a number of the key recommendations contained in the royal commission, which our government has been continuing to roll out, including the locals, including increasing acute beds and including building the supports that we need to address suicide in our community.