TRIGGER WARNING: MENTIONS OF SUICIDE
From June 2017 to June 2020 two thousand and seven New Zealander's lost their lives to suicide.
New Zealanders are disturbingly familiar with the tragic, far-reaching influence of suicide. It’s an open secret that we have the worst rate of youth suicide in the OECD. This is unacceptable, and although ecoPortal continues to explore health, safety and wellbeing, we have fallen short on discussing the elephant in the room; suicide.
Pertaining to one particularly potent example, look at our construction industry. There are significantly higher rates of suicide than any other industry. In three years, one hundred and sixty construction workers have taken their lives. In response, incredible organisations such as Mates in Construction have emerged as shining initiatives to battle these statistics.
However, all industries are prone. There are no exceptions.
As the conversation unfolds nationally, there is an undoubted urgency and exponential heightening of awareness. Work is being done. It has to be done. Collectively, we're understanding that discussing mental welfare isn't enough (à la the benefits of yoga and meditation). We must bravely (and bluntly) examine the root-cause of these tragic statistics, and confront the growing shadow that looms over this nation.
Behind an individual choosing to end their life are a multitude of factors that contribute to a sense of hopelessness. Depression is not the only reason. Traumatic events, chronic illness, isolation, addiction, grief and other mental illnesses, such as bipolar disorder, dissociative identity disorder, and borderline personality disorder, can all contribute to a greater risk of suicide.
If you need a refresher of the warning signs of suicide, have a read of a mental health guide for New Zealand, or symptoms of depression and anxiety.
In this article, we hypothesise options New Zealand safety leaders can take to ameliorate emotional support systems for employees. These are actionable strategies that can be implemented fairly easily and send a clear message: you are not alone.