Preventing rural suicide needs more attention paid to it than much-publicised quad bike safety, says a top farming official.
Jeanette Maxwell says more should be done to prevent rural suicide in New Zealand. Photo: supplied
New Zealand’s high suicide rates in rural areas must be openly addressed, says Jeanette Maxwell, a Federated Farmers national board member.
Ms Maxwell thinks the issue can no longer be swept under the rug given statistics which show the disproportionate number of suicides in rural areas.
The latest available Ministry of Health figures show the annual rate of suicide per 100,000 people is 15.9 in rural New Zealand, compared to 10.8 in urban areas.
The disparity between rural and urban suicide rates increases significantly when the statistics are reduced to men between the ages of 15 and 44. For men in this age bracket, there are almost twice as many suicides in rural areas (42.35 compared to 21.65).
Quad bike accidents on New Zealand farms result in an average of five deaths a year, says the Department of Labour.
Federated Farmers has launched its When Life’s a Bitch campaign to encourage people in rural communities dealing with depression to call out for help.
Cards and flyers released as part of the campaign provide numbers of support groups for people to call if they are feeling down, stressed or just want to talk to someone.
David Hunt, the Hawkes Bay dairy chairperson for Federated Farmers, says the stresses of farming life can really wear you down.
He says there is a multitude of factors which can make farming life extremely difficult, including financial pressures, isolation and weather.
Mr Hunt, who has dealt with depression himself, hopes bringing the issue into the public forum will reduce the culture of stoicism in many farming communities.
“We want farmers to be more aware that it’s OK to say you’re not feeling alright.
“We are trying to get men to talk about their issues and not just bottle it up.”
Mr Hunt is also imploring people who notice a family member or friend acting out of character to help them make first contact with a support group.
The overall aim of the campaign is “making people care about people a little bit more”, Mr Hunt says.
Dr Annette Beautrais, a suicide prevention researcher at the University of Auckland, highlights the success of men’s health evenings held by rural GPs in promoting health-seeking behaviour.
She also thinks stories about people who have overcome depression are the most effective form of media attention in preventing suicide.
Dr Beautrais says former All Black John Kirwan has been “a great New Zealand role model for men talking about depression”.
While there has been growing support for mental health awareness in rural New Zealand over the last few years, Gordon Hudson, of Like Minds Taranaki, says regional health boards must do more to complement these movements.
According to the New Zealand Institute of Rural Health, Waikato and South Canterbury are the only two district health boards in the country to have specific plans to address health needs in rural communities.
The Ministry of Health says it is working hard to overcome the challenges rural areas pose to providing timely and effective health service.
If you are feeling down or need someone to talk to, contact your GP or one of these support services.
