Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander lived experiences of suicide
Life in Mind recognises the important role of lived experience in suicide prevention.
In June 2018 the Centre of Best Practice in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention (CBPATSISP) facilitated a workshop to investigate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander lived experiences of suicide. Information was sought about possible differences regarding the lived experience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to that of the non-Indigenous population.
A key aim of the workshop was to examine the need for a specific Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander lived experience definition and network. A number of outcomes arose from the workshop which identified the need for the provision of culturally appropriate services and responses to Indigenous suicide prevention that prioritises Indigenous understandings and practices of well-being and healing, particularly in relation to suicide prevention. Workshop participants also emphasised the importance of local solutions, including capacity building within communities and organisations, being culturally informed and guided by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with lived experience.
Special strengths and resilience exist in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups and their cultures. These have contributed to the survival of people through a history of ongoing colonisation and have helped people endure hardships and adversity in the present. The strengths of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups must be acknowledged within the suicide prevention space.