Describe about the Social Policy Issue in Australia (Suicide).
Social policies are guiding principles designed to address social issues, ranging from unemployment, healthcare, poverty or racisms among other issues bedeviling our society. Government, civil society, and agents across the globe have formulated and administered social policies in different manners. Australia is considered as a progressive model when social policies are involved, because the country is economically and socially developed, and as a matter of fact numerous programs have been launched to promote equality in the Australian Social policy reform can also be initiated outside the government, and this particular approach is evident through the various community organizations that work to support the disadvantaged in the society. It is against this background that my research is going to focus on investigating suicide as a social problem in Australia and actions that can be undertaken by the stakeholders to minimize on suicide rates in the country. I am going to review some of the factors that leads into suicide and steps that can be taken to reduce suicide rates.
The rationale behind any social policy initiative is to benefit the human welfare, which is indeed a brilliant idea. Some of the immediate effects of a social policy program can be economic or general social improvement in a country, however, most people are inclined towards the belief that benefiting the human population, in particular the less privileged, is good, even if it means conferring to no immediate benefit. Research has also proven that any initiative developed to bring equalization directly benefits the society on a short to long term basis. For instance, attempts to fight for women rights and push for more women to join the labor force has generated a bigger and diverse workforce, and the government initiative geared towards providing comprehensive Medicare to all citizens, has led into a reduction of the burden of healthcare bills, and besides creating a more healthier and productive society. In our case, attempts to reduce suicide rates is likely to transpire into a healthy and wealthier society.
To tackle the underlying issue, the government can enact explicit laws that address different issues of law such as creed, gender, race, employment discrimination, or even laws touching on health matter such as dealing with suicide rates. The same government can also initiate programs that promote progress on different social issues in a different manner, and this may include providing incentives to medical product manufacturers, literacy program, or affordable housing (Gray & Agglias, 2009).
Within a particular society or community, the government, businesses or even non-profit making entities can be involved in implementing social policies. Businesses that want to be perceived as socially responsibly, can fund projects considered to be socially responsible, and such initiatives may include building a school, providing access to clean drinking water, or donate medical equipment and drugs to a clinic. Social policy development also factors in different organization sizes, whether large or small, provided that these entities have nurtured programs that address or lobby for the government to instigate functional legal changes that enhances social opportunities. It is due to this fact that in the paper we are going to highlight the cases of increasing suicide rates in Australia, and how a social worker can utilize his skills to help the society address the underlying issue. In this particular research paper, our main target group will be the middle aged men within the age bracket of 35-55 years, which is the most productive group in the Australian society.
Increasing Suicide Rate in Australia
Australia is considered one of the most developed regions on earth today. The country’s economic performances is excellent compared to some of its western counterparts, and the citizens are equally educated with the country boasting of some of the finest higher education learning institutions. The economic prospects are encouraging with iconic companies have already set base in the country. However, there has been a worrying trend, the number of people taking up their lives every year has been very disturbing.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has maintained the data on suicide rates since 1881, however, this very data is still considered to be an underestimate of the real suicide rate, because there are individuals who take their lives in such a manner that it is easily mistaken to be an accidental death. The Aussie’s suicide rates tend to be higher amongst males, rural dwellers, and the Aboriginal and Torres-Strait-Islander people. The level of suicide among Aboriginal and Torres-Strait-Islander people is considered among the highest globally, particularly in the far North Queensland region, Northern Territory, and Kimberley regions (Parliament of Australia, 2011). However, for a death to be considered to be suicide and recorded by the ABS, the death must meet a certain threshold:
To begin with, over the past decade, more than 2,100 Australians did commit suicide. To be precise, in 2008 there were 2282 deaths, in 2009 there were 2132, and in 2013, 2522 suicide deaths were recorded. These deaths severely impacts the family, friends, workplaces and the communities around, because loved ones are depressed and they are forced to live with the agony “look your dad or mum or even friend committed suicide.”
According to the new mortality data released by ABS, suicide rates have expanded exponentially from 10.9 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants in 2013 to more than 12 suicides per 100,000 people in 2014, and this is also the highest figure to be recorded since 2001. Suicide is considered a major cause of premature deaths in Australia, and these particular rates have been particularly blunt in the male species who are aged between 40-44 years of age. Even though the highest age specific suicide death rate for men in 2014 came from people above the age of 85 years, suicide among middle aged men was on the up rise, making it a social concern that people who are in their most productive years are dying deaths that can be easily prevented through moral and social support. The suicide levels for individuals who are aged between 55-64 years increased by around ten percent to 15.1 per 100,000, and the rise was highest in men within this particular age bracket at 58 percent, comparatively with 50 percent for the women species (Guardian, 2012).
These alarming figures are attributed to risky behavior among people, because the younger generation is today more assertive and less risk-averse. They start to drink and smoke earlier in their lives, and the associated behaviors leads into impulsivity, which leads into risk-taking, more levels of injury, hence more suicide risk. Suicide tends to begin through suicide ideation, and this is when an individual experiences serious thoughts of suicide. These individuals suffer from undressed despair and mental health issues that they experience in their lives as they approach the middle age, hence giving them ideas of suicide and finally committing the offense. Research indicates that most of these people were employed in the mining, agriculture, construction, and manufacturing sectors, whereby the last decade, there has been a downturn associated with redundancies and uncertainties, attributed to the global financial meltdown that has affected the west.
Individuals who were employed in these sectors had better prospects a decade back, but today, they are experiencing economic downturn, and they have families to support and other obligations such as mortgages, school fees, and car loans, and as a result, these people begin to find themselves losing their jobs and connection to friends. What follows next is that this group of people becomes disjointed to the society. In certain instances, they find their families falling apart, and they may end up divorcing, or over indulging in alcohol.
Gender
In each region within Australia, suicide is more prevalent among males compared to females, and the current ratio stands to 3:1. However, the suicide rates have decreased since the mid 90’s, the suicide level in men was highest in 1997 at 23.6 per 100,000, but has gradually declined and matured at 14.9 per 100,000 in 2009. The women suicide rates peaked at 6.2 per 100,000 in 1997, and thereafter, there was a decline to 4.5 per 100,000 in 2009 (Siewert, 2010).
The suicide rates for both men and women living in Australia differ insignificantly between rural and urban environment. However, the rate for young men is a little bit higher compared to women living in a rural setting. There are quite a number of factors attributed to the underlying scenario, these factors include; increased levels of social isolation, lower socio-economic lifestyle, and easy accessibility to firearms, which have all contributed to the increased rates of male suicide rates in Australia.
There is a strong correlation between alcohol, hard drugs and suicide with Australia’s young population. Between 30 to 50 percent of suicide cases reported, detectable items are retrieved during post-mortem coronal investigations, and alcohol is the most common, followed by drugs.
Even though suicide rates among adolescents has gradually declined, it is still a very thorny issue. There are certain age group who are more susceptible towards committing suicide, and these are the indigenous, or adolescents with rural or some refugee backgrounds, as well as those in welfare are observed to have a tendency to commit suicide, and the males are at more risks compared to their female counterparts.
Research has also indicated that there is a direct correlation between suicide rates and the period of unemployment accompanied with a decrease in national unemployment rates. The data also reveals that the longer the period of unemployment, or low employment, the higher the chances of committing suicide for men within the age bracket of 25-34 and 55-64 years.
It can be argued that the suicide rates got out of hand, because, there were no aggressive psychological health advocacy and services that targeted middle aged men in depressed sectors of the economy such as manufacturing, agriculture, and automobile. Even though individuals employed in lucrative sectors, and were technologically savvy, had strong prospects of seeking help when confronted with a pressing issue in their lives, men who worked in more crude sectors in most cases felt they did not have they had a shoulder to turn on, and could felt neglected by the society.
It is clear that there is a significant inconsistency in suicide levels, and even though the figures are climbing up by the day, it is also evident that suicide in higher-resourced communities is half the figure, whereas at the same time the suicide rates in the countryside and other regional areas comprising of moribund industries coupled with fewer resources, is twofold (Common Wealth of Australia, 2008).
It is in light of this fact that the mental health commission national review initiated a strategic roadmap, and this particular roadmap is going to be backed by massive financial investment, to seek the best approach on how to utilize practical concepts such as applying technology to coordinate health and prevention services and communities in regional areas to reach such people. However, it is still yet to happen. Essentially, it is important to sensitize individuals before they reach a predicament.
According to research studies from other foreign countries, clear strategies are formulated and they have worked to minimize on the levels of suicide rates. It is only some of these strategies that have been implemented in Australia whereby the implementation is a speckled and lopsided to their impact. Australia should redouble or even triple its efforts to minimize on cases of suicide at the local, state, and national level, because, the same country has tremendously cut the number of deaths from motor vehicles, cancer, aids, heart problems, and other contagious diseases (National Mental Health Prevention, 2013).
The Aussie government in collaboration with the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing (DOHA), is mandated with the responsibility of coming up with a new governance structure for suicide prevention. Some of the key reasons for coming up with a proactive documentation are:
Currently, there are quite a number of reforms earmarked by the government in collaboration with the civil society and non-governmental organizations. The Australian government is emphasizing on the need to rebalance the health system with a tough focus centered on prevention and early intervention. In relation to suicide, stakeholders believe that new structures should be re-positioned whereby these very structures entail:
Therefore a new national structure should be developed that will coordinate a multi-strategy approach towards suicide prevention. The rationale behind such an approach is:
Suicide is unacceptable in any Australian society because the number of suicide related mortality is even higher compared to the national road fatality rate, indeed a very disappointing trend
Bureaucracy associated with government health services is accountable for any effort to minimize suicide levels, whereby it has been noted that replacing medical personnel together with the government machinery that enacts policy framework has hindered progress and outcomes
Suicide should not be considered a health issue, but rather a social concern
Improving National Suicide Data
There has been a problem of underreporting that probably has given hope that the figures were going down, but the reality on the ground is that no significant change has occurred. This is an issue that must be urgently addressed if the country is to make any meaningful stride.
The workforce should be retained to collaborate with young people using modern information system tools such as social media, blogs and wikis. The youngsters should have access to an online community that provides advices from trusted sources. These sources may include medical personnel or even senior member of the community such as politicians.
New programs that enhance an individuals and community resilience while at the same time promoting social connection and physical awareness should be initiated. There should be a way of engaging and empowering the marginalized and traditionally the hard to reach groups through transgression of geographically, logistical and even psychological barriers that may inhibit such groups from accessing health promotion campaigns.
There are numerous successful approaches that have so far been established. However, often effective programs pertaining to suicide reduction tends to operate on either small or local scale, over short periods continually overlying from single donor source. The value to increase funding in such ventures is clear. Therefore innovative ways to scale up programs to have certain degree of predictability is necessary, and one of the approaches that is likely to work, is to increase funding while giving government support whenever necessary.
Stakeholders including the social workers should collaborate with the government to ensure that the government, civil society, and non-governmental organizations work hand in hand to educate the public on the risks of committing suicide, and at the same time providing preventive services including educating the public on the negative impacts of suicide. Some of the initiatives that can be undertaken include an elaborate public awareness campaign and also providing moral support to any person who is likely to be vulnerable.
Conclusion
Social workers know that individuals are confronted with various social deprivation, and these individuals often feel powerless, insecure, and unsafe in the society. Individuals who are suffering, may decide to cope with their conditions through inflicting harm on their bodies and this may include resorting into actions such as committing suicide. Social workers have the knowledge and professional obligation to assist individuals cope with negative depression and at the same time assist in promoting positive coping.
The society we live in is also mired with numerous obligation, and due to the limited resources that some of our government have, it is inherently challenging to address some of these issues. The government in collaboration with stakeholders such as the civil society, non-governmental organizations, social workers and the general public at large, can work hand in hand to come up with a sustainable approach towards the underlying issue. One approach is to openly educate the public on the negative impacts of suicide, and to let the public know that suicide does not solve problems, but rather running away from the reality. Potential victims should be educated that once they take their lives, it is their immediate family together with the friends who are likely to face the agony of losing a loved one.
The government through Australia Bureau of Statistics should come up with a comprehensive database comprising of the number of suicide deaths, and this particular database should also try to correlate incidences of death with an individual’s perceived problem to accurately determine what exactly leads someone to think of committing suicide.
Besides, civil education and sensitizing the public, more resources should be devoted towards program that are sustaining suicide avoidance. The funding should be consistent and should come from different sources such as the government as the principal donors followed by non-government organization, corporate organizations and other philanthropic individuals. We believe that Australia is a very civilized society, and incidences of suicide in the country should be completely unacceptable.
References
Suicide in Australia – Parliament of Australia. (n.d.). Retrieved May 29, 2016, from https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/BN/2011-2012/Suicide
A contributing life:$bthe 2013 national report card on mental health and suicide prevention /$cAustralian Government National Mental Health Commission. (2013). Sydney: National Mental Health Commission.
Gray, M., & Agllias, K. (2009). Australia: Contemporary Issues and Debates on the Social Welfare System. The Welfare State in Post-Industrial Society, 271-291. doi:10.1007/978-1-4419-0066-1_15
Laughland, O. (2014). Australia’s suicide rate climbs as experts declare a ‘national tragedy’ Retrieved May 29, 2016, from https://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/mar/26/australias-suicide-rate-climbs-as-experts-declare-a-national-tragedy
Mental illness & suicide in the media: A Mindframe resource for courts. (2008). Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia.
Siewert, R. (2010). The hidden toll: Suicide in Australia. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia.
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