Lifeline WA gains extra currency thanks to Perth Airport

Nationally, the number is 36%.

Suicide is now the leading cause of death for Australian men aged 15-44 years; in 2016, 71% of suicide deaths in WA were male.

Lifeline WA, with the support of Perth Airport, is keen to put the spotlight on suicide, and particularly male suicide.

Perth Airport has installed five collection boxes in the T1 terminal where people can donate either on their way out of Perth or on their arrival in whatever currency they have in their pockets.

“A handful of foreign coins may mean nothing to a traveller but when you add them all up we can make a big contribution to saving lives. 

“We’ve all done it before - we take those foreign notes and coins home, put them in a drawer and forget about them so why not drop them in here where they can make a real difference and maybe save someone’s life,” Perth Airport CEO Kevin Brown said.

Lifeline WA CEO Lorna MacGregor says it’s a wonderful way to not only raise much needed funds for Lifeline WA but also to remind people that they can reach out if they need to talk to someone.

“We’re very grateful that Perth Airport has thrown its support behind Lifeline WA, and we ask passengers to the airport and those seeing off or welcoming family and friends to drop some spare coins or notes into the boxes.”

Ms MacGregor says the reasons for the gender difference are complex.

“Research has found a significant barrier to men seeking help is the need to conform to traditional norms of masculine behaviour which focus on stoicism, independence, invulnerability, and avoiding talking about emotions.

It’s also true that men tend to have less social support systems than women.

Lifeline WA Director Beau Waters says the statistics are alarming and as a society we still have work to do to change how men view their mental health.

“The perception of stigma associated with mental health is a significant barrier to men who are afraid to reach out for fear of being judged or appearing weak,” he said.

Anne Richards lost her 27 year old son Mark to suicide nine years ago and closely witnessed Mark’s battle with depression and the associated stigma.

“Depression and mental illness are nothing to be ashamed of. I want young men to reach out for help when they are finding things tough, long before they are on a pathway to suicide.”

General suicide stats & facts

• 371 Western Australians died by suicide in 2016; the WA road toll in the same period was 155.
• Of the 371 suicides in WA in 2016, 266 were male.
• Consistently, over the past 10 years, the number of suicide deaths by men has been three times higher.
• Suicide is preventable: People who suicide do not want to die; they want their pain to end.
• Last year 44,829 Western Australians called 13 11 14
• Research has found that:
  • for every person who suicides 135 people are impacted, creating a ripple of grief
  • 85% of Australians know someone who has died by suicide