Media Releases 2017

The number of Australians dying by suicide has decreased, with figures showing 2866 people took their lives in 2016, compared to 3027 people in 2015, the Australian Bureau of Statistics Causes of Death report revealed this morning.

SANE CEO Jack Heath said that while figures are down on the previous year, it’s not a time for celebration with the number of deaths by suicide simply unacceptable.

• The suicide rate decreased from 12.7 to 11.7 per 100,000 Australians
• There was an average of 7.9 deaths by suicide in Australia each day
• There were 2,151 male deaths at rate of 17.9 per 100,000
• There were 715 female deaths at rate of 5.9 per 100,000
• Suicide deaths are down in all states except Tasmania
• Suicide accounted for over one-third of deaths (35.4%) among people 15-24 years of age
• According to international studies, approximately 87% of people who take their lives are those living with mental illness and those living with complex mental illnesses are between 10 and 45 times more likely to take than own lives than the general population

“It’s critical for the mental health and suicide prevention sectors to come together in a coordinated way to build an Australia where everyone living with mental illness has easy access to appropriate services and support.

“We still have so much work to do, including reducing stigma and improving post-discharge processes for people who have attempted suicide.

“We welcome the Federal Government’s commitment to stigma as part of the Fifth National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan and additional investment in mental health.

“We also need to be looking at increasing expenditure for those living in rural and regional Australia where suicide rates have been twice as high than in capital cities, yet the expenditure in services per head is half as much.”

A meta review conducted in 2014, titled Risks of all-cause and suicide mortality in mental disorders, showed that those living with complex mental illness are between 10 and 45 times more likely to take than own lives than the general population.

“People living with schizophrenia are 13 times more at risk, those living with bipolar disorder are 17 times, major depressive disorder 20 times, anorexia 31 times and for Australians with borderline personality disorder, the risk of suicide is 45 times higher,” Mr Heath said.

Sam, 30, lives with schizoaffective disorder and attempted to take her life in 2003.

“When I attempted suicide, I was in a really dark and lonely place,” Sam said.

“I believed the decision to take my life was a selfless decision. I thought if I wasn’t around, the world would be a better place for everyone.”

Sam’s advice to someone thinking about taking their life is to reach out and seek help.

“I wish I’d known I would find my place in the world and life would get better,” Sam said.

“Family and friends can also help by learning about suicide warning signs and starting a conversation with their loved ones if they think they may be struggling.

“I’d love to see a day where there was no shame or stigma attached to mental illness and everyone felt confident enough to reach out for help.

“Reaching out and asking for help isn’t easy, but it’s worth it.”

Anyone looking for information, support and guidance from mental health professionals can contact the SANE Help Centre on 1800 187 263 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. from 10am-8pm AEST. For anyone in crisis call:

• Lifeline 13 11 14
• Suicide Call Back Line 1800 659 467
• Mensline 1300 789 978
• KidsHelpline 1800 551 800

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SANE is a national mental health charity working to support four million Australians affected by complex mental illness including schizophrenia, bipolar, borderline personality disorder, eating disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and severe depression and anxiety.

To organise an interview with SANE Head of Programs Sarah Coker, SANE Acting CEO Philippa Costigan or Sam who has survived a suicide attempt please contact:

Ellen Sproule
Senior Media and PR Advisor
Phone: 0407 367 215
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.