MEDIA RELEASE
May 5, 2009

Registrations open for suicide prevention symposium

Registrations are now open for “Culture and Suicide Prevention in Aotearoa”, a 2-day symposium being held September 10 and 11 in Wellington by Suicide Prevention Information New Zealand (SPINZ).

Held to coincide with World Suicide Prevention Day, the symposium theme has been chosen in the context of increasing concern about suicide rates among Māori, which have declined but not matched a trend of decreases in the general population.

As suicide is viewed differently across cultures, the symposium will highlight approaches to suicide prevention which acknowledge both clinical and cultural expertise. The keynote speakers, Professor Mason Durie and Australia’s Dr Tracy Westerman, have been chosen to speak regarding their work in this area.

Mason Durie, Professor of Māori Research and Development at Massey University, developed the groundbreaking model of the Māori understanding of health, Whare Tapu Wha. It illustrated the important connections between physical, mental, social and spiritual well-being.

“Developing culturally appropriate approaches for suicide prevention is vital if we are to reduce rates of Maori suicide and make communities more resilient,” says Professor Durie. “Adapting existing approaches is not enough, we must start from the premise of what is important to Maori and build around that.”

Dr Tracy Westerman is an internationally-recognised authority on Aboriginal and indigenous mental health. She has led a range of initiatives in Australia that have worked to acknowledge the cultural experiences of indigenous populations in the treatment of mental illness.

“To ensure that our programmes are truly valid we need to appreciate the unique characteristics of every population,” she says. “Available research continues to point to the central role that culture plays in the mental health of Aboriginal people. With greater understanding of the unique risk and protective factors operating within different cultural groups, programmes can then incorporate these differences.”

Another of the symposium’s aims is to promote greater awareness and understanding of safe and unsafe practice in suicide prevention across all cultures.

“The best intentions don’t necessarily create the best approaches for suicide prevention,” adds Merryn Statham, Director of SPINZ. “There is a real need to build on existing research and that’s where our symposium comes in. For those who work with Māori and other cultures, it will be an inclusive learning environment promoting effective suicide prevention approaches. The aim is to share knowledge that will aid attendees in their work, whether that is with individuals at risk, their families or at a research or policy level.”

For further information and to register online, visit the SPINZ website at www.spinz.org.nz.

ENDS

© Scoop Media