Greens to press for twice-yearly publication of suicide statistics

Leading mental health experts in Australia are calling for more data on suicide to be made publicly available. A proposal by the Australian Greens political party would result in the publication of suicide statistics twice yearly and the establishment of a target for the reduction of suicide. “There are sensitivities in discussing suicide publicly, such as the need to avoid details about locations and methods, but we must not be so scared as to avoid public discussion of the matter altogether, which only adds to the stigma and does not help to address suicide risks,” said Greens health spokeswoman Amanda Bresnan.