The arguments used here are simplistic and flawed. I can accept that unemployment and tough economic times result in financial stress on individuals and that this can lead to depression and suicide. To blame this on incoming conservative governments is simply drawing too long a bow.

The UK and Greece are two prominent examples presented in the article. In both of these cases recession was the inevitable result of years of over-spending and bloating of the public sector (especially in the case of Greece). The recession came about when the inevitable belt-tightening occurred with the electorate dumping the guilty administration. While austerity was associated with incoming more responsible/conservative administrations, ultimate fault lies with previous governmentss. Things would have been only more painful if nothing was done.

That said, I believe that austerity in Europe is made worse by the Euro. Countries like Greece desperately need a currency devaluation to make their economies competitive in a hurry. Staying within the Euro zone forces adjustment to occur via slow and very painful means, like cuts in wages, public services and pensions.

Lyn, thanks for another fine article. Your caring is clear and your condemnation of the capitalist system is welcome.

I agree with you that dealing with human and social problems all the time is debilitating and humans can only handle it for just so long before the cracks begin to appear.

I too would like to live in a world where greed was a dirty word and war was banned completely and all weapons were destroyed.

Plundering is for barbarians, not for civilized, caring, thinking people!

one could easily argue that the suicide rate increases as more people receive degrees in psychology. What an idiotic article.

The "Suicide rates go up under conservative governments" screams the headline. Pray tell Lyn, is that a statistic found since this conservative government was sworn in just a few days ago, or is it just a feeling in your water, which you thought sounded good?

Yes Runner, this lady is a perfect example of why arithmetic, [not real math, but at least arithmetic] should be included in all phycology courses. With a little understanding of arithmetic, even this lady should be able to come out of her dream world, & join the workers in the real world. She just might understand that all the money she wants to throw around, must first be earned by someone working in the private sector.

"What will happen to the twelve thousand public servants Abbott has threatened to sack, as though hitherto they have been a useless drain on the budget? As though their lives, families, careers and well being were of no account" says Lyn as her cup of compassion runneth over. Never a thought for the tens of thousands of real workers in the private sector struggling under the huge tax burden required to pay those highly over paid bureaucrats.

If the lady had a bit of arithmetic, & some real compassion, she would be calling for another fifty thousand to be pushed out the doors of Canberra offices, never to return. But don't hold your breath, unless you are a bureaucrat, or have attempted unsuccessfully to slash your wrists, you are nothing but a semi invisible cash cow to people like Lyn.

You may as well argue that increased suicide rates and the election of conservative governments are both caused by the inevitable failure of leftist policies.

This figure from the World Health Organisation shows a rise in suicides in Russsia after the fall of Communism -- only to be expected in turbulent times -- followed by a fall back to roughly the same levels that prevailed in the Soviet era. It has apparently declined further since 2006. That certainly doesn't support the theory of a socialistic Golden Age.

http://www.who.int/mental_health/media/russ.pdf

Well one can argue or rant against the raw numbers, and the fact they always seem to rise under Conservative Govts, but the raw data does not lie!
And all so unnecessary!
The problem for Conservative Govts is, they are no longer the Christian progressives, who ended slavery or child labour.
They were the progressives who didn't leave the social conscience at the door, when they entered politics?
And those with the courage of GENUINE Christian conviction didn't mince words, or make endless non-core promises just to retain or win power!
And all so unnecessary, if they would just put back on the cloak of the progressive conservatives?
Instead of cutting essential social programs, perhaps they could simply means test them!
Is the age of entitlement really over, or just rerouted away from genuine need and back onto greed!?
If they need to cut the cloth to suit the budget, means testing would at least be fair, and whats more, seen to be fair!
They could also consider tax reform, to end the unconscionable avoidance by some so called religions or the obscenely wealthy.
They really have no other choice, than to embrace genuine tax reform and massive simplification, as they and the other side contemplate the destiny of demography!
We simply cannot keep cutting essential social spending.
Perhaps they could use the brains they were born with and trade away unfair dismissals for a much more generous job start?
Which on its own, might just deal with some of the misery and hopelessness, that seems to so mark depression as the harbinger of an increased suicide rate?
Perhaps if preventable suicide could be seen as a form of compulsory euthanasia, (cause and effect) the conservatives might just begin to see how THEIR policies of culpable neglect, were affecting our most vulnerable! Jawol?
Jesus said, inasmuch as you do unto the least amongst you, you also do unto me!
Rhrosty.

Dear David G.,

<<Plundering is for barbarians, not for civilized, caring, thinking people!>>

Are there 'AND's and/or 'OR's between "civilized", "caring" and "thinking" in the above sentence? If so, where?

Are you suggesting that plundering is for native American Indians (uncivilised), public-servants (uncaring) and little children (unthinking)?

The Nazis were extremely civilised - hence they plundered.
The Soviets never stopped thinking and theorising - hence they plundered.
The Catholic Church constantly cared for people's souls - hence they plundered.

Truly, plundering is for the ignorant who fail to observe that when they take away the possessions of others, they in fact harm themselves more than they harm anyone else.

<<I too would like to live in a world where greed was a dirty word and war was banned completely and all weapons were destroyed.>>

In other words, a world where any possessions which people hold dear are confiscated/plundered (but they may keep such possessions which they do not value) and where anyone who attempts to wage war is drowned (no weapons, remember, only bare hands may be used).

That world can be a great source of bedtime stories for dirty little girls who are greedy for dolls - how their dolls are taken away from them and their hair pulled apart, and horrible boys who were found playing war-games and drowned in the toilet. Extremely educational!

Actually, if you like to live in a world like that, then why are you here? Did you happen to take a wrong turn? then what stops you from turning back (for example by committing suicide, or just holding your breath)?

"Studies of suicide rates under conservative governments compared to what I shall term, socially responsible governments, have shown that suicide rates go up under conservative governments."

The writer appears to ignore the fact that austerity measures need to be implemented because of the gross over-spending of socially irresponsible governments, e.g . Greek governments and much closer to home , Labor governments.

Consequently, rising suicide rates are traceable to socially irresponsible governments.

I've heard this thesis before, but never bothered to check the statistics. It seems that for the last 22 years in Australia suicide rates have been higher under Labor than Liberal. http://www.mindframe-media.info/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/7961/Suicide-Figures.pdf Since 1999 highest under Hawke and Keating, more or less, then there was a peak when John Howard was elected which but quickly declines. It went up slightly under Rudd and seemed to come down a little under Gillard.

This list of suicide rates from Wikipedia is also interesting. Hard to see an ideological connection, but perhaps someone could take the time to plot the political complexions of the countries against their suicide rate and see whether there is a correlation http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_suicide_rate

Greenland has the highest rate, but I've no idea about their government. China, Russia and Cuba all have higher rates than the US. The "happiness capital of the world" Bhutan comes in at number 20.

As others have indicated above politicising suicide may not be that helpful. Individual psychologists have their own political views...

If the author is politicizing suicide in an effort to maintain public funding levels for suicide prevention this is laudable, but she should be forthcoming about this.

This http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epidemiology_of_suicide#Demographic_factors indicates that there are many reasons for suicide. Being depressed is probably the main and most immediate cause.

Austerity (that is across the board budget reductions) is effecting all types of government and may be more influential. Austerity leads to higher youth unemployment - with youths in their late teens-early twenties being a major group at risk of suicide.

If you look at suicide rates by country there appears to be no correlation between "conservative" governments and suicide http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_suicide_rate

Blaming suicide on conservative governments begs the question "what is a conservative government?". By Australian standards all US (and Japanese) governments are conservative including the current Obama Administration. China and Sweden are conservative in many respects but socialist in others.

Pete

Not only do conservative governments pursue financial policies that favour the rich and screw the poor, they maintain a cultural mythology that persecutes vulnerability – financial, emotional and physical.

In conservative political terms, success and failure are viewed only as the inevitable outcome of taking individual responsibility for one’s choices. Even if it were proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that suicide rates do increase under conservative governments, it’s unlikely to make any impact at all on conservative political policies, as they are too entrenched in the concept of human disposability.

Bren

'The UK and Greece ... In both of these cases recession was the inevitable result of years of over-spending and bloating of the public sector (especially in the case of Greece).'

Germany, the Scandinavian countries, Holland and Finland – all of whom have strong public sectors and social spending budgets – were nowhere near as negatively affected by the GFC as other EU states and the US.

Since the Thatcher era, the UK has pursued one of the most aggressive programs of social-spending cutbacks of any Western government. Greece, before its financial crisis struck, had the second-lowest social services budget in the EU and highest military spending (as well as a massive Olympics debt).

It was the collapse of the global financial markets, especially the bond market, that wrecked these economies by wiping out large portions of their government revenue.

Dear Graham,

<<The "happiness capital of the world" Bhutan comes in at number 20.>>

No wonder: since the introduction of television in 1999, Bhutan is no longer the happy place it used to be for centuries. That device alone eroded happiness throughout the world, destroying family life and isolating individuals from each other and from nature.

Perhaps in other countries people already started to develop anti-bodies, or perhaps they were born with all that technology and never knew any better life, but for those who remember how life could be without all those flickering screens, life today is indeed depressing.

What a tragedy.

http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/bhutan/perspectivesa.html

Bender by name, bender by nature, bender by profession,
A typical gimme,gimme,gimme bleater. Go & do some real work instead of theorising about people who kill themselves by way of drugs & letting themselves get so brainwashed. Why not do something about those poor people who can't get help because all these studies waste so much money that should go to those who need it

Lyn, please ignore the comments from Runner, Hasbeen and Individual.

They are foundation members of the Flat-Earth society and can only think (that is, on the rare occasions when they think) in black and white. Not for them any shades of grey.

Ignorance is not bliss, I'm afraid but given that the ignorant make up most of the world's population, they have to be humored!

David G

Isn't the Earth flat mate?

When I look up an down the street is doesn't look round to me.

Jus wonderin.

Pete

Suicide rates have increased steadily over the last 20 years and will continue to do so. It is incredible that Mr Abbott, the Minister for Health for so long during Howard's leadership, learning as much as we hope he would have then concerning the acutely mentally ill, should see it appropriate to remove the portfolio of Mental Health Minister.
Such an ominous beginning; it augurs a very hard time for our severely mentally ill (SMI), those with schizophrenia, bipolar and severe affective disorders. The Mental Health Council of Australia announced, 2009, that fewer than 40% of SMI were receiving any of the specialised care necessary for their treatable but incurable diseases: more than 60% of some 650,000 SMI, then, are receiving no necessary treatment. Since then, the SMI number has increased and ALL governments' funding for them has decreased.
The suicide rates can't be connected to political parties. The Australian Bureau of Statistics latest "finalised " suicide statistics are for the years of 2007, 2008, 2009. There were some 11,600 such deaths in those years. Continuously decreased funding since 2009 means suicides will not have decreased. The highly respected psychiatrist, Dr Jean Lennane,stated in 2009. "It saves a lot of money if you don't treat them [SMI]. They end up homeless, on the street, in jail, or they die by preventable suicide. It's an enormous amount of money saved quickly". All governments know this, all governments make use of this.
In 2010,the Australian New Zealand Health Policy published "The trend in mental health-related mortality rates in Australia 1916-2004". The Abstract argues "...the longevity of people with mental illness has worsened through time". For the severely mentally ill "There are no gains".
The 20th century was one of medical miracles. But not for the SMI. In
2016, 2 years and 3 months away, the severely mentally ill begin their second century of stigma, suffering, governmental and bureaucratic underfunding and, therefore, lack of necessary care and a constantly increasing suicide rate because of the total despair which results from this.

Errr...WRONG. Suicide rates went DOWN significantly during the period when John Howard was in Govt.

Get your facts right first and then write an article.

Atman

Have another look at the MindFrame graphs in Graham's link. There was a particularly serious spike in male suicides in the 20-40 and 65+ age group in the 5 years after Howard took office.

Also, the studies the author cites (follow her links) were from two comprehensive academic studies published earlier this year, focusing on the UK, US and Australia over the course of the twentieth century and taking various social and political contexts into account. Overall, they found a definite correlation between suicide rates and conservative governments - one study extrapolating that 35,000 possibly preventable suicides occurred in the UK alone.

Make of that what you will.

Lyn Bender is in the social welfare industry and she is touting for business. She could not care if the entire Australian population was welfare dependent, as long as Lyn and her mates maintain their empires and their government superannuation.

Lyn says that suicides "appear" to rise under conservative governments. Could we have some statistics please? My understanding of why suicide is rising in Australia is because of rising illegal hard drug use, causing depression leading to suicide. But you can bet that Lyn, as a trendy lefty, is a staunch advocate for legalising drug use and setting up more injecting rooms staffed by ever more public servants.

It may send the country broke, but it creates more public service jobs.

The flippant attitudes that socialist people like Lyn have towards anything which is productive and profitable is best illustrated in once Socialist run Greece. The Greeks enacted a law that anyone who was in a "high risk" public service job (like a SWAT team) could retire at 50 on full pay. The race was on to amongst Greeks to have their particular occupations reclassified as "high risk" to get on the gravy train. The socialist government knew how to buy votes by playing Santa Claus to any large group who wanted to get in on the scam and stiff the taxpayers.

The socialist government had no money to pay for it so it just borrowed and borrowed from the Euro banks until somebody realised that the Greeks had no intention of paying it back. That is why Greece is bust. A stupid socialist government who had no idea how to run an economy but who knew how to buy votes.

If some of the people who retired on full pay at 50 and became parasites on the Greek taxpayers are committing suicide because they do not want to go back to work, then good riddance.

If any person is interested in accurate statistics of deaths by suicide, the best way to verify these is to check the site of the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The ABS itself admits that such statistics may not always be precise. But it offers reasons why inaccuracies may occur and notes ABS efforts to prevent further understatements.
It takes some years to obtain what the ABS terms 'finalised' results. The most recent are, as stated, 2007, 2008 and 2009. Deaths by suicide have never been so high as during these Howard years. But, tragically, it may be expected that when 2013 is finalised the results during the ALP years will be no better; they may be worse. Indeed, funding during one of these (2% of the health budget) was described in The Age as "an act of contempt" toward our severely mentally ill. As noted in the Australian New Zealand Health Policy research, for Australia's severely mentally ill "There are no gains." Statistically, there have been no gains for nearly 98 years as the suicide rate, during all governments, has inexorably increased.

Hi carol83

Can you produce the actual link to the ABS website and quote actual suicide per 100,000 figures to back up your claims?

Without concerted statistical attention the whole debate in the article appears to be an anti-Abbott expression of political views by typically left-wing youngish female psychologists.

Pete

Hi Killarney. Are we looking at the same graphs? The first two years of Howard's government were the highest for that 22 year period, continuing the trend started under Keating. The election was in March 1996, so I think the honours for that year have to be shared. By 1998 we're back down to levels equal to those of Labor, and the trend continues to fall until 2006, being below Hawke and Keating from 2002 on. Slight rise in 2007 then a slight dip and a rise right through to 2010. Best data point under Julia Gillard.

I'd be very careful using the age break ups. There are 1800 suicides more or less a year. They have 13 age breaks split by gender, giving an average sample of around 70 for each age and gender split. Results will bounce around for statistical reasons, not necessarily because things have changed.

"Atman

Have another look at the MindFrame graphs in Graham's link. There was a particularly serious spike in male suicides in the 20-40 and 65+ age group in the 5 years after Howard took office." - Killarney

Incorrect. Not according to the ABS, whose data I would trust the most. http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/by+Subject/4125.0~Jan+2012~Main+Features~Suicides~3240

In fact they increased significantly when Labor took office in 2007 after a downward trend under Howard.

This emotional distress and Government of the day story is just another attempt by the Left to "prove" that conservative Governments are heartless exploiters of people when in fact, it is the Labor Government which plays one part of society against another and cruelly taxes energy use is likely to cause more distress for people particularly the poor and elderly.

Also, the data is correlative not causative and anyone who would think that the Government of the day directly affects suicide rates is, to put it mildly, statistically challenged and knows nothing about the precipitators of suicidal behaviour. Mood state, disability, chronic mental health problems, untreated trauma, severe loss and availability of means such as guns, drugs etc. In addition, social contagion of self harm behaviour among youth is becoming more prevalent and changed economic circumstances are also a major issue in some cases.

Naive and simplistic explanations which follow an ideological bent always appeal to those on the Left who love to have a cause, imaginary or not.

Are you listening to the same podcasts I am Atman? For those interested in suicide, this Freakonomics podcast from 2 years ago is a gold mine. They also give you a lot of information on their website so you can get a good flavour without having to invest an hour in listening. http://freakonomics.com/2011/08/31/new-freakonomics-radio-podcast-the-suicide-paradox/

As this argument about stats rages keep in mind that anything can be proven using stats. It's all about the questions that are asked and the way you work the data!

Lyn is a professional in a caring industry yet she is being attacked by mindless ignoramuses who can't even spell 'Sighcollergee' let alone have any idea of what it is all about.

Given that most Australians will, at some time in their lives, have a mental problem, the braying ignoramuses may have to eat their words one day!

Lyn is a professional in a caring industry
David G,
I have worked alongside such people & if my experience with some of them is anything to go by I think they're more of a danger than a help. I would not be at all surprised if some suicides weren't directly attributable to such professionals filling some desperate's mind with even more problems. I listened to three of them talking to patients & I had to force myself from grabbing these professionals & kick them out of the room. Talk about fruitcakes, Gawd !

Graham

Yes, I am looking at the same graphs as you are. I was refuting Atman’s claim that suicides went down during the Howard era. They didn’t. They went significantly up at first and then down again.

As a general comment to others on this thread, my real concern here is that the comprehensive academic studies undertaken by research teams in Australia and the UK, published earlier this year and linked in the essay, are being pushed aside in favour of raw data from the ABS and other number-crunching bodies, which take no account of context or long-term trends. Both studies have found overall causal links between conservative political policies and ‘excess’ suicide rates over the last century.

We are entering a political phase in Australian history, in which the GFC is finally catching up with us and a government has been elected that has shown open hostility to social spending and social safety nets, dismissing them as a culture of ‘entitlement’. This conservative political philosophy is nothing new. However, it has been getting progressively more entrenched within Australian culture along with most Western countries on the back of a sympathetically conservative media culture.

I don’t know how it will play out over time, but anyone who is old, emotionally vulnerable, disabled, poor and unemployed will have very little say in this brave new anti-‘entitlement’ political environment, in which they will most likely be its long-term victims.

I think I understand? Tony Abbott is already killing people after only two weeks in the job, wow! The author is busily saving lives however, well done!
The "Not for Profit" sector is so that the author pays half or no tax unlike us ordinary punters. That dodge was put in specifically by Socialist millionaire Paul Keating so that failed left wing pollies can get their big fat pensions and also a "Fringe Benefit" like a house to ensure they do not pay tax.
Gee I am feeling suicidal now.

Plantagenet, my apologies.
Have gone through ABS and Department of Health and Aging without finding that page again...[plain black/white, about half page box... crosswise, years 2001--2112, lengthwise, state and national stats. for suicide deaths.] 2007, 2008, 2009 are the 'finalised' years. The stats. for these total 11,656 deaths by suicide, averaging 3,885/year. These are higher than normal figures. ABS has, for many years, based stats. on our 2001 population, 18,972,350. ABS may now be using present populations, as I've always believed they should. In that case, 2009 =21,885,016. 3,885/year still unusual result. If found, will direct.

carol83,
Any figures there that tell us how many suicides were through stupidity i.e. Drug overdose ?

Hi, Individual. Deaths from drug overdoses can happen deliberately, accidently or from murder. The coroner is always involved and must make a finding about the death. The police may be involved from the beginning or later, if the coroner calls for their help. Whatever deaths are said to be suicide, and sometimes this is simple because of a note left, will eventually be numbered in yearly ABS suicides under the heading 'death from drug overdose'.
Mental illnesses and deaths are rising because drug use among young people is increasing.

But suicides did fall under Howard, Killarney. They were highest under Hawke and Keating. I'm not sure what your point is. Shouldn't one look at "raw" statistics for oneself rather than relying on the results of a study? If the studies have fiddled with the statistics, we need to understand how, and whether this is legitimate.

Is your argument that there should have been a lot more suicides after the GFC, so really rates went down dramatically under Rudd and then Gillard? So how do we adjust for the Asian crisis when Howard was in power? Should we adjust down for the 1991 recession, allowing Labor a better figure?

Mental illnesses and deaths are rising because drug use among young people..
carol83,
Ask yourself why this drug use is there in the first place. I tell you why, it's because of stupidity. No-one with a sober, intelligent mind will take to drugs period ! It's people who are bored because they've never had to do anything for themselves through their own initiative because they've been mollycoddled since birth. Were they exposed to some discipline & responsibility i.e. a national service then they would have a healthier mentality & therefore many would not take drugs & possibly even discourage others from taking drugs. The anti-westerners are laughing all the way into our country because they can see the results of their effort of supplying drugs for our stupid is having the desired effect. To rub salt into the wound these moron drugies get priority in our hospitals whilst decent people have to wait for treatment.

Where do the "CARING™" develop such hysterical positions. What kills is lack of control and a future, the stock in trade of Lefties, they need the hoi polloi to be dependent to inflate their sense of worth (and power). Why else their continual disparagement of aspirationals? Any number of first level psychology text books show damage when creatures are in hopeless, pointless situations.

Graham

Firstly, I did not deny that the rates went down under Howard, so I'm not going to address that point again.

Secondly, ‘If the studies have fiddled with the statistics, we need to understand how, and whether this is legitimate.’

Well one of these studies is a published book, ‘The Body Economic: Why austerity kills’, co-authored by Dr. David Stuckler, Senior Research Leader at Oxford University and Honorary Research Fellow at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and Dr. Sanjay Basu, Assistant Professor of Medicine and epidemiologist at the Prevention Research Center of Stanford University.

And the book does cover the Asian crisis, the collapse of the Soviet economy, the Great Depression and other significant 20th century economic shocks.

The other study is from a team headed by Professor Richard Taylor of the University of NSW, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, and is published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health and a bunch of other esteemed academic journals.

Not exactly bastions of looney leftism. And I suppose it’s possible they 'fiddled with the statistics', but I don’t know why they’d want to. Perhaps there’s scope for you to expose an Austeritygate scandal along the lines of Climategate.

It's precisely this sort of petty bickering by cloth-eared cynics, over bite-sized points of technical interpretation at the expense of the main issue, which makes me feel as though life is barely worth living.

It seems to be the case that no matter where you turn, you will encounter people who disappoint you so profoundly that it makes you want to withdraw and just live on your own terms, and to give in to the idea that no matter how you try to help people, they will always find new ways of destroying themselves. Perhaps you could say that Lyn Bender's "retiring" from active work in suicide prevention is a case in point.

This is a pity, because while helping people one at a time could quite possibly make the world a better place, it also requires a lot of energy, not to mention belief in the feasibility of one's cause.

And what is the alternative? Sitting in our concreted, colourbonded courtyards swilling tea, performing mastery over an imprisoned cockatoo and congratulating oneself for being right