@article{17a5d84369f9437d8ef8c6b702af604b,
title = "The ripple effect, silence and powerlessness: Hidden barriers to discussing suicide in Australian Aboriginal communities",
abstract = "Background: Suicide is one of the leading causes of death for Aboriginal Australians. There is an urgent need to actively engage with Aboriginal communities to better understand these issues and to develop solutions together to prevent deaths by suicide in Aboriginal communities. Methods: Utilising a qualitative, thematic, cross-sectional design, we conducted focus groups in three communities in the Hunter New England area in New South Wales (Australia) to explore the perceptions and views of Aboriginal participants in relation to discussing suicide. Results: The key themes found to influence discussions about suicide in Aboriginal communities included the sense that suicide is a whole of community issue, the ripple effect of suicide deaths, silence about suicide and the impact of this silence, and being powerless to act. Participants described a reluctance to have discussions about suicide; feeling they had limited skills and confidence to have these sorts of discussions; and multiple and interrelated barriers to discussing suicide, including shame, fear and negative experiences of mental health care. Participants also described how their experiences maintained these barriers and prevented Aboriginal Australians from seeking help in suicidal crises. Conclusion: Future initiatives should address the interrelated barriers by supporting Aboriginal people to build skills and confidence in discussing suicide and mental health and by improving access to, and the experience of, mental health care and psychosocial and community-based supports for Aboriginal Australians. We suggest trying to address any one of these factors in isolation may increase rather than decrease suicide risk in Aboriginal communities.",
keywords = "Aboriginal, Attitudes, Barriers to discussing suicide, Bereaved by suicide, Community consultation, Culturally appropriate mental health care, Prevention, Qualitative, Suicide, Cross-Sectional Studies, Humans, Mental Health, Health Services, Indigenous, Suicide Prevention, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, Australia",
author = "Heard, {Todd R.} and Katherine McGill and Jaelea Skehan and Bronwyn Rose",
note = "Funding Information: The NSW Mental Health Commission is acknowledged for their support in funding the project and the Hunter New England Local Health District for its in-kind support. In particular, we would like to acknowledge Everymind (previously the Hunter Institute of Mental Health) for providing permission to access the community consultation data which was completed as one component of the {\textquoteleft}Conversations Matter{\textquoteright} project, led by Dr Jaelea Skehan. Dr Katie McGill{\textquoteright}s MH-READ position is supported by funding from the Burdekin Suicide Prevention Program and administered by Hunter New England Mental Health Service. Dr Katie McGill is also the recipient of a Suicide Prevention Australia PhD scholarship, made available through a partnership with Regional Australia Bank. We would like to acknowledge that the project would not have been possible without the support of our recruiting partners Biripi Aboriginal Medical Service, Awabakal Aboriginal Medical Service and Aboriginal Mental Health Services, Tamworth Aboriginal Medical Service and Aboriginal Health Coordinators from the Hunter New England LHD. In particular, we express our sincerest gratitude to the stakeholders and community members who participated in this research and Jennifer Robson for her support over the course of the project and to the proof-reader for support with formatting the document. Special thanks to Kristy Crooks, Annette Slater (Hunter New England Population Health), Leonie Garvey (Hunter New England Aboriginal Health) and Toni Carson (Awabakal Primary Health Care) for reviewing the final paper and making comment on the cultural appropriateness of the research findings. Funding Information: The NSW Mental Health Commission is acknowledged for their support in funding the project and the Hunter New England Local Health District for its in-kind support. In particular, we would like to acknowledge Everymind (previously the Hunter Institute of Mental Health) for providing permission to access the community consultation data which was completed as one component of the ?Conversations Matter? project, led by Dr Jaelea Skehan. Dr Katie McGill?s MH-READ position is supported by funding from the Burdekin Suicide Prevention Program and administered by Hunter New England Mental Health Service. Dr Katie McGill is also the recipient of a Suicide Prevention Australia PhD scholarship, made available through a partnership with Regional Australia Bank. We would like to acknowledge that the project would not have been possible without the support of our recruiting partners Biripi Aboriginal Medical Service, Awabakal Aboriginal Medical Service and Aboriginal Mental Health Services, Tamworth Aboriginal Medical Service and Aboriginal Health Coordinators from the Hunter New England LHD. In particular, we express our sincerest gratitude to the stakeholders and community members who participated in this research and Jennifer Robson for her support over the course of the project and to the proof-reader for support with formatting the document. Special thanks to Kristy Crooks, Annette Slater (Hunter New England Population Health), Leonie Garvey (Hunter New England Aboriginal Health) and Toni Carson (Awabakal Primary Health Care) for reviewing the final paper and making comment on the cultural appropriateness of the research findings. Funding Information: The project received funding from the NSW Mental Health Commission to complete a community consultation. The NSW Mental Health Commission was involved only in the initial design of the study. This study was undertaken with the support of the NSW Mental Health Commission and in-kind support from the Hunter New England Local Health District. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022, The Author(s). {\textcopyright} 2022. The Author(s).",
year = "2022",
month = dec,
doi = "10.1186/s40359-022-00724-9",
language = "English",
volume = "10",
journal = "BMC Psychology",
issn = "2050-7283",
publisher = "BioMed Central Ltd.",
number = "1",
}
