September 28, 2012
CALGARY — A provincial symposium on suicide prevention will highlight the need for a community approach that promotes understanding and encourages Albertans to ask for help when they feel stressed, overwhelmed or depressed.
Alberta Health Services (AHS) is hosting today’s Moving Forward with Suicide Prevention, a provincial symposium that focuses on ways to build stronger community supports.
“Albertans are known for being tough, hard-working people,” says Patti Restoule, co-chair of the AHS provincial steering committee on suicide prevention. “But that ‘put your head down and get ’er done’ attitude also means we’re more reluctant to ask for help; this may be one of the reasons our province has one of the highest suicide rates in Canada.”
In 2010, Canada’s suicide rate was 10.2 deaths per 100,000 people; Alberta’s rate of 12.4 deaths per 100,000 was the third highest in the country. Suicide is consistently a leading cause of death among Albertans and claims more lives annually than other more openly discussed issues such as motor vehicle collisions, AIDS or homicides.
Symposium keynote speaker Dr. Darien Thira says community is the key to reducing that statistic.
“There is only one cause of suicide and that is unbearable pain,” says Thira, a community development and mental health consultant for Aboriginal communities. “In the work I do, specifically with Aboriginal communities, that pain ultimately comes from the ongoing impacts of colonization.”
Thira’s presentation, “Community is the Medicine,” will explore the foundations of resilience that are rooted in traditional cultural values.
“These values are what protected communities from suicide for thousands of years, and they offer the opportunities for individuals, families and for the whole community to heal one another,” says Thira. “And since it is the whole community that is impacted by suicide, the whole community can participate in its prevention.
“It’s OK to ask for help — we are not alone. Sometimes talking to someone can make all the difference in the world, they can be our bridge to wellness,” says Thira.
Author and mental health advocate Lee Horbachewski knows first-hand how important supports are for preventing suicide. Horbachewski will deliver a powerful message to symposium participants as she shares her journey through depression, anxiety and attempted suicide.
“The unconditional love and acceptance from friends and family is so important in suicide prevention. The stigma around mental illness keeps many people from sharing their darkness, adding to the depths of depression, which can and does lead to suicide,” says Horbachewski.
Today’s symposium is being held at the Coast Plaza Hotel from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and will bring together health professionals, community agencies and the public. Other key symposium topics include building community support for:
Over the past several years, AHS has hosted an annual Honouring Life: Aboriginal Youth & Communities Empowerment Strategy (AYCES) conference which has focused on culturally-relevant Aboriginal youth suicide prevention initiatives funded by AHS. This year, the AYCES conference will be replaced by the Suicide Prevention Symposium. This will expand the focus and include both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal stakeholders to help increase knowledge and awareness of the issue of suicide in Alberta.
Suicide prevention is outlined as an area of priority in the 5-Year Health Action Plan, jointly developed by the Government of Alberta and AHS, and supported by the province’s stable, five-year funding.
Alberta Health Services is the provincial health authority responsible for planning and delivering health supports and services for more than 3.8 million adults and children living in Alberta. Its mission is to provide a patient-focused, quality health system that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans.
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