Image: The Salvation Army has developed a project to pay tribute to those lost to suicide and raise awareness about its prevention.
Five Australians commit suicide every day, and for every suicide there are at least six people who are closely affected.
Still a taboo topic, most media organisations hesitate to report on suicide and couch it with euphemisms such as “no suspicious circumstances” when they do.
The Salvation Army has developed a project to pay tribute to those lost to suicide and raise awareness about its prevention.
“Suicide prevention is everybody’s business,” said Director of The Salvation Army Suicide Prevention and Bereavement Support Services, Alan Staines, OAM. “You haven’t got to be a professional to save a person’s life from suicide.”
‘Lifekeeper Memory Quilts’ started in 2009 with the unveiling of a national quilt as a tribute to 62 people who lost their lives to suicide.
“People were just amazed to see all these young people on the quilt,” Mr Staines said. “It’s such an emotional time, and part of healing too for the family.”
“I’ve got such a vivid memory of a mother and a son coming up to the quilt and pointing to the father,” he said.
This year five quilts are being made: two from NSW, one from Victoria, one from South Australia and one from Queensland. They will be unveiled at a conference in Sydney on 28 to 30 June, to be later displayed around Australia.
“The families have honoured their loved ones with a photo and tribute on these quilts,” Mr Staines said. “This helps to bring some sort of support to the family and helps break down the stigma.”
“It’s a wakeup call for the general community that we’ve got to be doing more in the prevention of suicide… [and] supporting those who are left behind,” he said.
Mr Staines said bereaved family members and friends of suicide victims are themselves nine times more likely to commit suicide than the rest of the community.
“When a suicide happens in the home, it becomes a crime scene, and all those living within the home are a suspect until shown otherwise,” he said. “They go through hell when a suicide happens.”
“They go through so many rollercoasters of emotions, you’ve got the guilt, the anger, the denial, and the question ‘Why?’ is never answered.”
“The conference coming up next weekend is all in support for the bereaved by suicide, and really educating those who are working with the bereaved,” Mr Staines said.
By Yash Pandya
