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.