Today’s release of the 2017/18 statistics has horrified suicide bereaved mum and advocate for change to NZ’s mental
health system Jane Stevens. “686 people dead. It’s hard to take in.” She says.
Jane who lost her son Nicky Stevens to suicide in 2015 says today’s announcement has left her reeling. “686 people have
died by suicide in the last 12 months.
That’s over a 10% increase from the previous year’s record high. I just keep thinking of all those people lost to
suicide and all those families and communities who are utterly devastated, their lives completely turned upside down”.
She said.
“The devastation of suicide is something I know all too well, the negative impacts of losing someone you love to
suicide just keeps going on and on”. she said.
“The release of today’s appalling statistics makes me even more determined to ensure that the legacy of years of neglect
of our mental health system, the years of poverty experienced our most vulnerable, the need to acknowledge the
underlying causes of suicide and the stigma around mental health are urgently addressed. “
“This is a huge challenge to all of us and puts in stark focus the importance and urgency of the work of the Mental
Health Inquiry".
“We have to act and we have to do things differently, it can’t just be DHB’s doing mental health anymore, it hasn’t
worked, we need an all of community approach and we need the Government to put in the resources to ensure we turn around
these dreadful statistics”.
“This is a wakeup call to all of us. Burying our heads in the sand about the suicide epidemic can’t continue. It’s our
loved ones that are ending up dead and buried as a result." She finished.
Jane Stevens