Abstracts: Keynote presentations and workshops

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Hubert Cunningham
5 years ago
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1 Abstracts: Keynote presentations and workshops PRESENTER: Christensen, Helen (Professor) 1 h.christensen@blackdog.org.au Ph Black Dog Institute TITLE: Suicide rates in Australia have been rising steadily since 2006 ABSTRACT: In 2012 there were more than 2,500 suicides in Australia (11.0 per 100,000 people) and threequarters of those who died by suicide were male. Australia is failing to make progress in suicide prevention for a number of reasons including: a lack of an agreed program of action to reduce suicide rates, with no theoretically-based rationale for distributing funding, the approach taken by the Australian Government to lower suicide rates is not optimal, little investment in suicide prevention for the size of the problem and poor research funding. However, a new approach could deliver success in suicide prevention. Recently, there have been significant changes globally in approaches to suicide prevention by researchers and policy makers. Firstly, evidence is accumulating about the effectiveness of various components of a suicide prevention response. Second, a new idea has emerged that a systemic approach is needed to comprehensively reduce suicide risk. Evidence is mounting that the best suicide prevention response may be gained from a multi-level, multifactorial, systems-based approach. This presentation will outline the evidence in favour of a systems-based approach to suicide prevention, and a model for how it might be achieved and evaluated in regional areas across Australia. PRESENTER: Culloden, Alexandra 1 alexandra.culloden@hnehealth.nsw.gov.au Ph Hunter Institute of Mental Health, NSW TITLE: Conversations Matter: engaging with priority populations when talking about suicide ABSTRACT: There has been healthy debate nationally about the potential benefits of talking more openly about suicide, within families, schools, workplaces and communities. While much opinion has been shared about the need to talk more about suicide, there is limited evidence, and therefore evidence-based resources, to guide these discussions across community settings. To assist communities and professionals to have safe and effective conversations about suicide the Hunter Institute of Mental Health was funded by the NSW Ministry of Health and the New South Wales Mental Health Commission to develop a series of resources, with development involving a comprehensive review of the international evidence and existing resources, as well as consultations with experts and community members via forums and focus groups. As part of the consultation process community members and key stakeholders from priority populations including Indigenous, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex, and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse communities were engaged in focus groups to ensure resources were appropriate and relevant. This presentation will discuss the outcomes of the consultation process, the development of resources for discussing suicide in communities, and how Conversations Matter is providing practical support for communities and professionals to guide conversations about suicide. PRESENTER: Fisher, J 1 1 National StandBy Response Service, United Synergies, Australia TITLE: New discoveries about providing 24/7 community based postvention support and the use of technology to maintain an effective workforce across a vast country. ABSTRACT: There is an increasing emphasis on the importance of timely individual, family and community support for the suicide bereaved (Moore, Maple, Mitchell & Cerel, 2013). Providing suicide postvention support is a relatively new area of health service and only recently has the need for defined practice guidelines, standards and quality frameworks been recognised to support the growing numbers who work in this vital area. The National StandBy Response Service currently trains and supports Australia s largest dedicated postvention workforce with more than 200 staff employed in the delivery of a community based 24 hour response after suicide and an additional 250+ local representatives steering the program at regional

2 levels. This presentation will discuss training and maintenance of this unique workforce and provide examples of StandBy s use of technologies to ensure high quality person-centred postvention support across a vast country. The presentation will conclude with an open discussion about emerging postvention workforce experiences and encourage suggestions for a platform to share learning and knowledge amongst those undertaking this critical area of practice. PRESENTER: Granello, Paul (Associate Professor)¹ 1 The Ohio State University, USA TITLE: Suicide Assessment Strategies ABSTRACT: This program will provide mental health professionals with concrete, practical information on suicide assessment. Participants will be given resources to conduct culturally and developmentally appropriate suicide risk assessments. The presentation is grounded in research, but intended to be highly practical. Participants will learn a model for suicide risk assessment that is grounded in ten clinical aphorisms developed by the presenters that will help guide the process of assessment. PRESENTER: Haag Granello, Darcy (Professor)¹ 1 Ohio State University, USA TITLE: Developing a Partnership Model for Suicide Prevention ABSTRACT: Suicide prevention is a shared responsibility, and programs that use broad-based partnerships within schools and communities have greater buy-in for creating prevention programming that is effective for the population served. This workshop will discuss a partnership model for suicide prevention programming that was developed and implemented at The Ohio State University and has become a partnership model for suicide prevention at universities across America. More than 70 campus and community partners participate in the program, making suicide prevention truly a shared campus responsibility. Participants will be encouraged to consider how to take aspects of the partnership model and apply it to their own suicide prevention efforts. PRESENTER: Haag Granello, Darcy (Professor) 1, Granello, Paul (Associate Professor) 1 1 Ohio State University, USA TITLE: Suicide Prevention in School Settings ABSTRACT: Suicide risk among adolescents is a significant public health concern. Worldwide, rates of suicide among adolescents are increasing sharply. One approach to addressing suicide risk in young people is the use of universal prevention programming in schools through the use of suicide prevention education, mental health education, suicide gatekeeper training, and suicide and depression screening. Taken together, these programs can help create a school climate where there is reduced mental health stigma, increased willingness to seek help, improved competence and confidence in skills to recognize suicide warning signs and intervene with students at risk, and a culture where suicide prevention is viewed as a shared responsibility. This workshop will discuss the role of school-based suicide prevention with specific examples and resources to implement prevention programs in school settings. PRESENTER: Helmes, Edward (Professor) 1 Ph James Cook University, Qld TITLE: Stereotypes of older adults: Do they influence suicide? ABSTRACT: Many countries are experiencing unprecedented increases in the number of older adults in their population. In Australia, the fastest-growing segment of the population is of those over 85 years of age. The high suicide rate of older adults receives less public notice than rates among younger adults. I argue

3 that at least some of the public attitudes toward suicide by older adults arise from some stereotypes of older adults as helpless and demented. While the range of factors influencing the decision to suicide is as broad as at other ages, there are aspects that may be specific to current cohorts of older adults. The first is the adoption of negative stereotypes as self-stereotypes of helplessness and cognitive impairment. The second is the issue of the stigma of having a mental health problem and of receiving treatment for such problems. Self-stereotypes of helplessness decrease the likelihood of recognition of problems such as depression. The reduction in the likelihood of treatment due to helplessness combines with stigma to further reduce the likelihood of engaging in treatment. Promotion of positive social engagement and the recognition of depression and related disorders can help overcome the negative stereotypes and reduce the suicide rate. PRESENTER: Kolves, Kairi (Dr) 1 1 Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, Griffith University TITLE: Suicidal behaviours in older adults in Australia: Research and potentials for prevention ABSTRACT: Globally, suicide rates increase with age. Therefore in many countries, suicide rates are highest among older adults, especially in males older than 75 years of age. Despite declines in Anglo-Saxon countries, including Australia, suicide in older adults remains high. Furthermore, some increase in males aged 65 years and over has been observed in Australia in recent years. In addition, due to increasing human longevity and a declining fertility rate, the proportion of older adults in Australia and worldwide has increased rapidly and will continue to raise. Those trends highlight suicide as a remaining public health issue in older adults. Nevertheless, suicides in older adults have obtained much less attention from both the research and prevention perspectives, compared to younger age groups. The current presentation aims to provide an overview of suicide and suicide prevention in older adults aged 65 years and over in the Australian community. PRESENTER: Krook, Darryl (Adjunct Associate Professor)¹ team@cpem.com.au Ph CPEM Consulting Group, Qld TITLE: Managing the Workplace Culture Effectively ABSTRACT: The business world in today s society is marked by economic, political, regulatory, and technological turmoil. Effective management of workplace culture and organisational change has been demonstrated to be significant drivers of workplace engagement, health, and safety. This workshop will enable participants to understand and discuss keys to a great workplace culture including leadership behaviours, values-based practices, and engagement drivers. Participants will also identify best practices in navigating change in the workplace, such that employees maintain their ownership, interest, engagement, and good mental health throughout the process. PRESENTER: Malak, Abd-Elmasih (Professor) 1,2 1 Multicultural Mental Health Australia Association 2 MMM Group TITLE: Culture and suicide prevention ABSTRACT: People s culture shapes their mental health and the services they use as well as the culture of the mental health clinician, the service system also affects the prevention, diagnosis and treatment options. However despite the importance of culture and mental health being explored by a number of academics and researches for at least the last 20 years, cultural considerations are not always prominent in the mental health landscape. Neglect and cultural and ethnic bias continue and require a political response not only through policies, plans and standards, but also through the allocation of adequate and proportionate resources.

4 PRESENTER: Murray, Judith (Associate Professor) 1 judith.murray@uq.edu.au Ph ¹ The University of Queensland TITLE: Loss in Suicide Prevention, Self-Harm and Postvention: Integrating Assessment and Intervention ABSTRACT: It is recognised that adverse life events can have a negative effect on people s mental wellbeing. These effects can be serious, long-lasting and misunderstood. This presentation will consider loss as a universal concept in understanding adverse life events. It considers from the literature what we may need to know about loss and therefore how we can consider integrating care based on this psychology of loss at different levels from psychosocial support to psychiatric treatment. PRESENTER: Patton, George (Professor) 1 ¹ University of Melbourne TITLE: Causes and consequences of self-harm and suicide in young people ABSTRACT: Suicide and self-harm have become major global public health concerns in the adolescent and young adult years. Recent estimates have suggested that more young women now die from suicide than from maternal causes. This presentation will provide an overview of recent advances in our understanding of patterns, time trends, causes and consequences of self-harm and suicidal behaviour in young people. It will consider self-harm and suicide in the global context as well as draw on understandings of self-harm and suicide in young Australians. It will outline new understandings of the natural history of adolescent self-harm including the social and emotional adjustment of self-harmers once they reach adulthood. It will also bring together the available evidence about what works in responding to self-harm and suicidal behaviour in young people. PRESENTER: Sands, Diana (Dr) 1 dianasands@bereavedbysuicide.com.au Ph ¹ Centre for Intense Grief, Sydney NSW TITLE: Restoring the Heartbeat of Hope for those bereaved by suicide: Exploring the walking in the shoes model ABSTRACT: This workshop will outline and explore a family systems meaning focused, research-based model of suicide bereavement, the tripartite walking in the shoes model (Sands, 2008; Neimeyer & Sands, 2011; Sands, Jordan & Neimeyer 2011). The implications of suicide bereavement in the context of the bereaved person s social, emotional and relational world will be identified within the framework of the model. The primary focus of the workshop will be on how the model can be applied in counselling and group facilitation for those bereaved by suicide. Case studies, clinical vignettes and images from counselling and groups will illustrate different ways of intervening drawing on the expressive arts (Sands, 2014). In particular the workshop will focus on the use of expressive arts interventions within a narrative, meaning making context to support healing meaning reconstruction and resilience in the wake of traumatic loss. The workshop style will be interactive, using visual images, power point, audio and film clips, group discussion and expressive artwork activities. A workshop handout will be available. Learning Outcomes: 1. Identify social, emotional and relational issues for those bereaved by suicide 2. Outline walking in the shoes model theory, research and practice applications for counselling and group programs 3. Learn how to use a number of expressive arts interventions to facilitate healing meaning reconstruction and adaptive grief processes

5 PRESENTER: van Schoubroeck, Lesley (Dr) 1 Ph ¹ Queensland Mental Health Commission, Queensland TITLE: Developing a renewed approach to Suicide Prevention in Queensland ABSTRACT: Suicide remains a significant and challenging social and public policy problem. Beyond the tragic loss of life, suicidal behaviours occur with concerning frequency impacting on the health and wellbeing of individuals and placing stress on families, friends and services. The whole of government Queensland Mental Health Drug and Alcohol Strategic Plan commits to developing a renewed approach to suicide prevention. The Commission is leading the development of the Queensland Suicide Prevention Action Plan in consultation with key stakeholders. The Action Plan will be based on priorities and principles identified during consultation and include cross-sectoral actions to reduce the incidence of suicide and its impact in Queensland. PRESENTER: Welsh, Rick 1 r.welsh@uws.edu.au Ph The Shed (Emerton) TITLE: The Shed: bridging silos to minimise suicide in Aboriginal communities ABSTRACT: The Shed is a suicide prevention service auspiced by the University of Western Sydney. It operates in Western Sydney and is a hub where Aboriginal people come to. Our approach to suicide prevention uses the social determinants of health as a framework. We invite relevant services into a safe communal space so people will effectively engage with these services. Throughout their involvement with The Shed, individuals are supported by staff who encourage them to remain engaged with services that best meet their needs. This hub service delivery model has encouraged peer support amongst Shed participants and has proven to be an effective service model in the prevention and minimisation of suicide in Aboriginal communities. This paper will examine the effectiveness of The Shed s specific type of suicide prevention service delivery model. Two of the projects it has piloted will be discussed (one focusing on apprehended violence orders and the other an Aboriginal Cultural Contact program for children in foster care and their birth parents) and also its involvement in establishing the Aboriginal Family Law Pathways program which aims to enhance the collaboration of services to improve person centred approaches and build social capital within Aboriginal communities.

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