Supporting courageous voices discuss suicide and mental illness safely and responsibly. Presented at the LGBTI Mental Health Conference 2014, Sydney, 26-27 June 2014.

1. Supporting courageous voices discuss suicide
and mental illness safely and responsibly
26 June 2014

2. Alexandra Culloden
Mindframe National Media Initiative
www.mindframe-media.info
@MindframeMedia
Conrad Browne
General Manager
JOY 94.9
www.joy.org.au
@joy949

3. Upfront
Suicide is a legitimate issue to be covered
by the media
Mindframe does not suggest that media should
refrain from covering this issue – however, media
need to be aware of the potential impact of
covering suicide

4. Mindframe
• Funded by Department
of Health NSPP
• Guided by national
advisory groups (media,
health, police, universities,
entertainment)
• Aim: To disseminate
evidence-based information
to sectors to improve media
coverage of suicide and
mental illness.

5. So what does this mean for LGBTI
media and community?

6. Suicide and mental illness in LGBTI
communities
LGBTI Health Alliance:
• Most current statistics come from studies conducted
in the last decade
• LGBTI people have significantly poorer mental health
and higher rates of suicide ideation than the general
Australian population
• There is currently no population based research on
LGBTI completed suicides in Australia

7. Suicide and mental illness in LGBTI
communities
• Private Lives I (2006):
– 49% of LGBTI men had experienced a major depressive
episode
– 45% of LGBTI women had experienced a major depressive
episode
– 16% of all respondents had suicidal ideation in the two
weeks prior to the survey
• Suicide Prevention Australia (2009):
– 28% LGBTI women have self harmed or attempted suicide
compared to 8.3% of heterosexual women
– 20.8% of LGBTI men compared to 5.4% of heterosexual men
have self harmed.

8. What are the current suicide rates in
Australia?

11. Why do we need to consider the way
that we report suicide?

13. The evidence: suicide
• Media play a role in raising awareness of suicide and prevention
behaviour as these are public health issues.
• The risk of copycat behaviour is increased when a story is
prominent, about a celebrity, details method and/or location and
glorifies the death
in some way.
• People may be influenced by the report, particularly when they
identify with the person in the report.
• Whilst healthy members of the community are unlikely to be
affected, people in despair are often unable to find alternative
solutions to their problems.

14. Resources to support safe and responsible
reporting
• Reporting suicide and
mental illness: A
Mindframe resource for
media professionals
• Quick reference cards:
– Reporting suicide
– Reporting mental illness
– Helplines

15. Developing specific resources for reporting on
suicide and mental illness in LGBTI community
• Partnership with MindOUT!
• Training with LGBTI media
• Consultation and evaluations:
– needs of different groups in
reporting suicide and mental
illness
– type of resource that may
support these discussions
• Development and review
process

16. Quick reference card for supporting safe and responsible
reporting of suicide and mental illness in the LGBTI community

17. www.mindframe-media.info
alexandra.culloden@hnehealth.nsw.gov.au
@mindframemedia @AlexCulloden

18. Conrad Browne
General Manager
JOY 94.9 is a self-funded, volunteer-based
community radio station, providing an
independent voice for the diverse lesbian,
gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer
and allied communities.
The station launched on World Aids Day
1993 and this December celebrates it’s 21st
birthday.
Broadcasting from Melbourne 365 days a
year – listen live to award winning news,
current affairs, music, arts, cultural
programs and more at joy.org.au