R U OK? and Suicide Rates
Suicide facts and
stats The reasons people take their own life are complex and often there is no single reason why a person attempts or dies by suicide. Suicide data 2019 - ABS (released 2020) In 2019, preliminary data showed a total of 3,318 deaths by suicide (age-standardised suicide rate 12.9 per 100,000), 2,502 males (19.8 per 100,000) and 816 females (6.3 per 100,000). Consistently over the past 10 years, the number of suicide deaths was approximately three times higher in males than females. All states and territories had an increase in numbers of suicide deaths, except for Queensland which had a decrease from 786 in 2018 to 784 in 2019. In 2019, there has been an increase of
suicide deaths from 3,138 deaths in 2018 (12.4 per
100,000). Stimulating
community action for suicide prevention: findings on the
effectiveness of the Australian R U OK? Campaign R U OK? is an Australian-based organisation that aims to prevent suicide by empowering and encouraging community members to have regular, meaningful conversations with those around them by asking, ‘Are you ok?’ One of the organisation’s main activities is ‘R U OK? Day’, a national day of action held in Australia every year to remind people of the importance of connecting with and supporting those around them who may be troubled. This paper primarUS professionals twith the highest rates of suicide of employees ily examines data from a 2014
Australia-wide population survey evaluating the
effectiveness of the R U OK? campaign in promoting its
message. Following R U OK? Day in 2014, approximately
two-thirds of participants reported being aware of R U OK?,
with one in five of these participating in R U OK? Day
activities. Overall, people believed that the R U OK?
campaign has a positive impact on people’s willingness
to talk to others about their problems and seek professional
help, and in reducing the stigma associated with
help-seeking. The findings were positive, but future work
should also investigate outcomes such as knowledge, stigma
and help-seeking in order to demonstrate the efficacy of the
campaign.
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