Help plea to tackle rise in suicides

Fears have been raised that there has been a surge in suicides after coronial figures revealed there have been 100 suicides in Perth so far this year - more than half the number recorded all last year.

Data from the National Coronial Information System, which was tabled in Parliament by the Attorney-General, showed there were 17 suicides in Bunbury in the first three months of this year, compared with 20 in 2010. While in Geraldton, there were 11 suicides in the first quarter, compared with 10 all last year.

Amanda Wheeler, chief executive of suicide helpline organisation Lifeline WA, said the increase was a concern.

"What do these statistics tell us? We need more people to know what services are available to them. We need more people to be mobilised by the fact that actually getting help for your mental and emotional issues is the right thing to do rather than a shameful thing," she said.

Ms Wheeler said suicide had a knock-on effect, which led to suicide clusters, but she questioned whether there was a co-ordinated response to suicide in WA.

The coronial figures, which list manners of death indicated as suicide but have yet to be finally determined by the State Coroner, showed there were 295 deaths by suicide in 2010. From January to March this year, WA's suicide toll had already reached 161.

Mental Health Minister Helen Morton said funding had been secured to expand drug and alcohol services in WA.

Shadow mental health Minister Ljiljanna Ravlich said if the number of suicide deaths continued at this rate, WA's toll could reach more than 630 by the end of 2011.