Suicides stir cry for action

Seven suicides within the past month in the Northern Territory's Top End have prompted demands for improved mental health services and calls for greater openness about the subject.

Two 14-year-olds and a boy of 16 are among those who killed themselves, and six of the seven were Aboriginal. A rally was held outside Parliament House in Darwin last week to highlight community concerns, with one youth worker, David Cole, calling for a royal commission into the "epidemic".

Cole, director of the Balunu Foundation, which helps young people at risk, said the problem could no longer be ignored. "Enough is enough," he said. "We're all responsible for our children. We need governments to start listening to indigenous people at the grassroots level, and start working closely with us ... to prevent these tragedies."

While the Northern Territory has long had Australia's highest suicide rate, with the problem particularly acute among its Aboriginal inhabitants, the recent spate has alarmed many observers.

Professor Patrick McGorry, an internationally renowned mental health expert, called for suicides to be reported as prominently as the road toll. During a visit to the Territory this week, he said: "I think it should be on the front page of every paper. People don't talk about it, and that implies it is something to cover up and be ashamed about."

McGorry, who is Australian of the Year, said the Territory needed more mental health services geared specifically to young people.

At the Darwin rally, Julie Turner, whose 17-year-old daughter committed suicide four years ago, said she had felt alone because no one would talk to her about her child's death.

One solution suggested by Cole was "yarning circles", where people are encouraged to get together and talk about wider issues, including how to deal with domestic problems and stress.