Suicide warning on child drugs
The West Australian has this as the front page story. Back in November 2003 the blog provided links to the US FDA Public Health Advisory about this issue. Click here to go to the entry.

Youth Unemployment in Australia: a contextual, governmental and organisational perspective.

"Young jobless males were nearly nine times more likely to take their own lives than their peers who were working or studying.

And the Smith Family study into youth unemployment calculates the cost of lost earnings and social security benefits for young people who did not complete Year 12 at $2.6 billion a year. "(From The Australian 28 January 2004)

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More Smith Family publications available here.

Tracking Tragedy : NSW Mental Health Sentinel Events Review Committee, First Report December 2003

The [NSW Sentinel Events Review] committee was established in May 2002 by the NSW Government to independently review and report on morbidity and mortality issues associated with the care of people with mental illness.

"The Committee looked at a sample of 35 inpatient suicides occurring over the past five years and eight homicides perpetrated by patients of mental health services between 1999 and 2002, in order to analyse systemic factors that may have contributed to these events.

"It found that mental health services in general do a very effective job at managing people with severe mental illness and that suicides and homicides were relatively rare events when compared to the numbers receiving care from mental health services.

Directory of Western Australian Community Alcohol and Other Drug Agencies
This directory has just been released by The Western Australian Network of Alcohol and other Drug Agencies (WANADA). Copies are available from WANADA. Click here for contact details.

Education Queensland's Suicide Prevention Website
This site from Education Queensland provides resources for teachers suitable both for use in the classroom and for professional development. It also has resources suitable for parents.

"The website has been established to assist Education Queensland personnel to access appropriate information concerning suicide, suicidal ideation and self harm with intent to suicide of young people.

Sections of the site are specifically designed for use by mental health personnel working with young people in schools (eg. Guidance Officers).

The site includes information on professional development, strategies to support young people at risk, schools role in prevention, postvention, critical incidents and a range of other information.

This site is an initiative of Education Queensland under Reducing Suicide: The Queensland Government Suicide Prevention Strategy 2003 – 2008."

(Thanks Bron)

Firearm related deaths in Australia 1991-2001
A new publication from the Australian Institute of Criminilogy:

An examination of firearm related deaths in Australia between 1991 and 2001 found a 47 per cent decrease in numbers, with a fall in the number of suicides accounting for the largest part of that decrease. Nine out of 10 firearm related deaths involved males. Compared to firearm related suicides and accidents where less than 10 per cent involved the death of a female, a higher proportion of homicides involved a female victim (33%). Persons under the age of 15 years were least likely to die as a result of a firearm related injury. Males and females who suffered a fatal firearms injury tended to follow a similar age distribution, with persons aged between 24 and 34 years accounting for the largest number of firearm related deaths. There appears to be a shift in age related risk between 1991 and 2001. In 1991, males aged between 15 and 24 years had the highest risk of firearm related fatal injury (rate of 9.5%), whereas in 2001 males aged 65 years and older had the highest risk (rate of 4.9%). The majority of firearm related deaths were committed with a hunting rifle, although there has been an increase in the use of handguns

SIEC Alert - Suicide among gay, lesbian bisexual or transgender youth
The lastest SIEC alert from the Centre for Suicide Prevention in Canada.

WAAMH Advocacy Training Workshop
Expressions of interest are being sought for the Advocacy Training Workshop to be held on Friday 6 February 2004, for 18-20 mental health consumers and carers. Limited assistance towards travel costs for attendees will be available as follows:

• $10 for metro-based participants


• Up to $50 for country participants.

Refreshments and lunch will be provided on the day. If you would like an opportunity to register your attendance at this workshop, please complete the application form and send it back to WAAMH by 20 January 2004.

Welcome to 2004

WA Psychiatric Rehabilitation Symposium 19-20 February 2004

The WA Psychiatric Rehabilitation Symposium - Recovery: A New Way of Being, will be held at the Department of Health, 189 Royal Street, East Perth on the 19th and 20th of February 2004. Videoconferencing is available for rural and remote sites.
The symposium is free, but places are limited and registrations must be received by Wednesday 4 February 2004.

Registration forms available on the website.

Reveiw of mental Health Services in Australia for 2003-2008

In April 2003, the Mental Health Council of Australia launched its national review of mental health services in Australia: “Out of Hospital, Out of Mind!”. The report highlighted the obvious deficiencies in care but also presented community priorities for further action. A key proposal was increased accountability. To date, we have insufficient data from government agencies about what really happens in mental health at local, regional and state/ territory levels. Consequently, the Mental Health Council of Australia, with academic support from the Brain & Mind Research Institute, is undertaking a state-by-state review of services in 2003. Our goal is to produce a report in each state/ territory to underpin urgent reform in your local area.

The study is being conducted by Professor Ian Hickie, Professor of Psychiatry and Executive Director, Brain & Mind Research Institute, The University of Sydney; and, Dr Grace Groom, Chief Executive Officer, Mental Health Council of Australia.

If you wish to participate in the survey, it can be accessed at http://www.mhca.com.au/survey/.

Childhood and Adolescent Predictors of Major Depression in the Transition to Adulthood
In this new research the authors conclude that "our findings suggest clear markers [for major depression during the transition to adulthood] apparent in childhood and adolescence, presenting opportunity to those working with and treating this population."

The full abstract is available via the link above, and you may have access. If not, contact your organisation's library or your local public library. MCSP members can contact Tracy to access the fulltext.

Journal of Suicide and Life Threatening Behaviour
Link to the table of contents of Volume 33 No 4

Issue 4 has arrived and MCSP staff can contact Tracy to access it. Other readers should contact their local library.