Anne Simmons
Latrobe Regional Hospital predicts Gippsland people who have made a suicide attempt will receive better follow-up support with the roll-out of a state government program.
The Traralgon hospital is one of six new health providers across the state to deliver the program, and the funding will spread across Gippsland.
Latrobe Regional Hospital executive director mental health Cayte Hoppner said the biggest predictor of a suicide attempt was a previous suicide attempt.
“So logic will tell you, if someone presents here post a suicide attempt they are going to be at increased risk,” Ms Hoppner said.
“What we want to do is strengthen our follow-up for people who are discharged post a [suicide] attempt.”
The Hospital Outreach Post-suicidal Engagement initiative will not only build on the support the hospital can provide for people in this “distressing” time, but also offer extra support to friends, family and carers.
“It’s a really challenging time and a lot of people have a lot of questions and they don’t understand why … the person has chosen that decision,” Ms Hoppner said.
The program is part of a broader strategy combining both national and state suicide prevention plans as well as health organisations across Gippsland for a “whole-of-community” approach.
It will attempt to address the complexity of reasons why people attempt suicide and offer individualised support to reduce the risk of further suicide attempts after being discharged from a psychiatric unit or emergency department.
“Whether it’s mental health issues, alcohol and drug issues, family violence, financial distress, loss of employment, relationship breakdowns, they’re all the complex factors that can contribute to a suicide attempt,” Ms Hoppner said.
“The aim of the program is to actually … identify what their individual factors are.”
Ms Hoppner said the hospital would be looking at recruiting not only health professionals but people who have previously attempted suicide.
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