Rise in Suicide Deaths in Australia Following COVID-19 Pandemic

In this photo illustration, a teenager in distress poses for a picture in Arlington, Va., on June 11, 2021. Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

An increased number of Australians have committed suicide in 2022 as living cost pressures and personal debt remains the greatest threat to people’s mental health.

According to data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, more people in the two states of Victoria and New South Wales (NSW) have taken their lives in 2022 than during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Specifically, between January and October 2022, there were 621 suspected suicide deaths in Victoria, up from 577 in 2021, 569 in 2020, and 585 in 2019.

In NSW, 737 suspected suicide deaths were reported from January to September 2022, a significant rise compared to 670 suspected deaths recorded during the same period in 2021, 670 in 2020, and 667 in 2019.

While there was no 2022 data available for other jurisdictions in the report, the trend in Victoria and NSW was in line with research showing suicide rates could peak two to three years after a crisis.

New Report Reveals Distress Factors Behind Suicide

A new report by Suicide Prevention Australia (SPA) revealed that over one in three (38 percent) Australians in November said they knew someone who had died or attempted suicide in the past 12 months, up from 31 percent in August.

Among the states and territories, Queensland reported the highest percentage of people with suicidal behaviour (such as thinking about, planning and attempting suicide) at 27 percent, followed by South Australia at 25 percent and Victoria and New South Wales at 21 percent.

Notably, the report showed that 71 percent of Australians said they felt more distressed in November 2022 compared to the same time last year.

Financial stress due to personal debt and rising living costs continued to be the main driver of distress, with 41 percent of Australians citing the factor, followed by family and relationship breakdown at 25 percent and social isolation and loneliness at 23 percent.

In addition, housing access and affordability became the fastest-growing distress factor in 2022, with middle-aged and middle-wage Australians most likely to be impacted by the issue.

Suicide Prevention Peak Body’s Response

Following the report’s release, SPA CEO Nieves Murray said the findings shed light on the impact of financial pressures on the community’s mental health.

“It’s clear from this data that suicide does not discriminate. Sadly, it too often touches a significant number of Australians in all corners of our community,” she said.

“Every life lost to suicide is a tragedy, and the impact spreads across families, schools, workplaces, sporting clubs and community groups.”

Suicide Prevention Australia CEO Nieves Murray and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on Sept. 6, 2022. AAP Image/Mick Tsikas

While more Australians were thinking about suicide, Murray said it was fortunate that many of them decided to reach out for help.

“We know 88 percent of frontline suicide prevention services experienced increased demand in the past 12 months. Australians are heeding the call to seek help,” she said.

To deal with the increasing rates of suicide, the SPA is calling on the Australian government to provide an urgent “relief package,” which includes fast-tracking the delivery of recent commitments to suicide prevention services and additional support for those most vulnerable to suicide risk.

The peak body also urged the government to introduce a National Suicide Prevention Act to combat self-inflicted harm while citing the example of Japan.

The SPA said the Asian country had seen a 40 percent reduction in suicide deaths over the past 15 years after it enacted the 2006 Basic Act for Suicide Prevention.

“We need to act now to address increasing rates of distress and respond to the risk of increasing suicide rates in our community,” Murray said.

Australians seeking support and information about suicide prevention can use the following contact details.

Lifeline 13 11 14

Beyond Blue 1300 224 636