Men's Health Connected: The National Response to Suicide - Are Men A Priority?

The first session, hosted by former Lifeline CEO Pete Shmigel, took a closer look at whether male suicide prevention has been a priority in the past, and what changes have taken place more recently to ensure it is a priority in our present.

Panellists included Dr Zac Seidler, clinical psychologist, research fellow and Director of Mental Health Training at Movember, who suggested we need to move away from purely discussing help-seeking because the services are there - but it's not working. Dr Seidler highlighted the importance of creating supportive spaces that men will want to go to for help and build friendships (a huge protective factor for male suicide) and the hope that upskilling the clinicians and other people providing that support will become the next priority.

Darren Black, CEO at OzHelp, advised that one of the risk factors for male suicide is that when men in specific industries who live in rural or remote areas reach out for support, it can be a long and hard time before they get it.

Christopher Stone, Acting Director, Policy and Government Relations at Suicide Prevention Australia, spoke about the set of principles he is writing with the support of 30 experts in suicide, which he hopes will help shape the future of suicide prevention in Australia.

Dr Bernadette Boss, CSC Interim National Commissioner for Defence and Veteran Suicide Prevention, highlighted the difficulty men in defence services have in transitioning back into the community. Dr Ross reflected on British psychologist Robin Dunbar's research which points out that men and women build relationships differently. While women can maintain close relationships by talking on the phone, research shows men need to be doing something together to support this relationship, which is why services such as a men's shed are so important.

To wrap up the session, Glen Poole, CEO of the Australian Men's Health Forum, called for a rethink of the way services are delivered, summarising the critical point that when men are getting help but the help isn't doing the job, change is needed.

One of the key findings of the Prime Minsters' National Suicide Prevention Adviser, Christine Morgan, was that lived experience knowledge and expertise should be prioritised and integrated into the planning and delivery of a whole-of-government suicide prevention action.

Bronwen Edwards, CEO of Roses in the Ocean, outlined the many roles men with lived experience can play in preventing suicide. Tynan Narywonczyk, lived experience speaker from Roses in the Ocean, advised that getting his story off his chest has helped him feel more at peace –and he has been able to help shape the way suicide prevention programs are developed.

Dr Neil Hall of Western Sydney University presented recent research findings exploring men's experiences with lived experience of suicide. The study used storytelling as a research technique and looked at the stories of 12 men with lived experience of suicide. Dr Hall detailed that some of the critical factors associated with suicidal ideation were: childhood trauma, loss of employment, relationship breakdown and pending legal issues. However, it is often not just one of these determinants but the accumulation of distress that impacts a person's life as a pathway to suicide.

Read the research paper here.

Graeme Holdsworth shared his battle with suicide and reflected on his journey as a lived experience advocate in the suicide prevention sector.