Biggest crowd yet expected to raise suicide awareness

A walk creating awareness around suicide is expecting bigger crowds than ever at a time when many people are calling for greater discussion about the issue.

HopeWalks are being held throughout New Zealand this year in a bid to remove the stigmas and misconceptions surrounding mental illness.

The upcoming walk, which will take place on June 11 along Tamaki Drive from St Heliers to Mission Bay, is expected to draw the biggest crowd yet with nearly 4000 people expected to attend.

A HopeWalk in Manurewa in February attracted a crowd of over 2500.

The latest event comes in the wake of New Zealand’s mental health sector coming under fire after a review into suicide deaths found nearly 50 per cent of people who took their lives had sought mental health services in the year before their death.

Many people have also been calling for greater reporting and discussion of suicide, with some saying we need to change the restrictions around how it’s talked about in the media.

HopeWalk organiser, Joseph Fa’afiu, said the events encourage open dialogue on mental illness, and for those affected to talk about their experiences.

“We want to break the silence, the stigmas and the shame around suicide,” he said.

New Zealand has one of the highest suicide rates in the developed world, with 564 deaths being ruled as suicides for the 2014/2015 year.

Mr Fa’afiu said that with the events drawing such large crowds, it’s important to address the statistics behind it.

“It’s a stat that continues to climb. Suicide is a silent killer and people who have been personally affected by it, and those who haven’t, want it to stop happening,” he said.

The walks promote various suicide prevention agencies that offer help to those suffering from mental illness.

Youthline’s national spokesperson, Stephen Bell, said talking about mental illness is essential in breaking the stigmas that surround it.

“It’s important to have a place where people feel comfortable to talk about how they’re feeling,” he said.

Dr Robert Kyde, chairman of the Suicide Mortality Review Committee, said highlighting how prevalent suicide is in New Zealand is important.

“Publicising that suicide is a major problem and affects a lot of families and leads to a lot of distress in the community is a good thing,” he said.

Dr Kyde said it’s important the issue isn’t glamourised so people can recognise how far-reaching the effects of suicide are.

HopeWalks are being held throughout New Zealand this year, with the next walk in Dunedin planned for August 13.