Day 2 – Wednesday 3 May 2023
- Professor Maree Teesson AC, one of our keynotes, spoke about how we need to be talking more about suicide and alcohol consumption. We must engage with what is positive and can be done in this space.
- Professor Maree Toombs talked about the fragility of identity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the importance of culturally safe and appropriate suicide prevention services. “Others will take your life in time, but suicide will take your life in moments.”
- The team from PANDA (Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia) spoke about the risks in someone’s life as they transition to parenthood. Suicide is the third leading cause of maternal death in Australia with many risks such as a traumatic birth experience, caring for a premature or unwell baby, being a parent of multiple babies and grief and loss about the hopes/expectations vs the reality of parenthood. We need to reshape our socio-cultural expectation of birth and early parenting.
- Dr Zac Seidler and his team of PHD researchers shared that men are talking with their feet. 45% of males dropped out of treatment prematurely without informing their clinician. Much more needs to be done to tailor our clinical approach to male suicide prevention.
- Christopher Stone, Director of Policy and Government Relations at Suicide Prevention Australia talked us through the work his team are doing on an upcoming report looking at the social determinants impacting suicide. This will play an important role in shaping policy and a whole-of-government approach to suicide prevention.