Aussie Drought could push up suicide rate
Pastor Dale Morgan
Aussie Drought could push up suicide rate*
By Jane Bunce
October 12, 2006 01:12pm
Article from: AAP
AUSTRALIA - SUICIDE among farmers could increase as the drought continue
to bite in many parts of the country, Parliamentary Secretary for Health
and Ageing Christopher Pyne said today.
Mr said the drought was putting pressure on rural families.
His comments come as Treasurer Peter Costello warned of a farm economy
in crisis because of The drought, which was so bad that farm production
could fall into recession.
Mr Pyne said suicide rates had fallen since their peak in 1997 but were
still too high, with Australian Bureau of Statistics figures showing
more than 2000 Australians took their own lives in 2004.
"This does represent a significant decrease in the number of people
committing suicide in Australia - in 1997 it was 2720," he said.
"But ... with the drought we can expect a lot of pressure, particularly
on rural families as they juggle drought and debt.
"So suicide is going to be very much an important issue in the months
and years ahead."
Mr Pyne today announced $32.7 million funding for 46 community-based and
four national suicide prevention projects to coincide with Mental Health
Week, part of a previously declared $1.9 billion mental health package.
It includes more than $900,000 for a University of Newcastle initiative
to increase support for farmers and their families in rural and remote
Australia by training local mental health services.
Other projects aim to develop resilience in people in rural and regional
communities.