On Newshub Nation: Simon Shepherd Interviews mental health campaigner Jazz Thornton
Jazz Thornton is a suicide survivor who has gone on to form the mental health support group Voices of Hope.
Simon Shepherd asked her what she makes of the government’s new suicide prevention strategy, and if she thinks that it
should be more targeted or not.
JAZZ THORNTON: I think it’s important that they’ve started with the whole society. Eventually it will need to get
targeted, but I think that it’s important that we have an overview first and then we hone in on what the real issue is.
SIMON SHEPHERD: Right, so we’re not going to be leaving anyone behind here if it’s not targeted at the beginning?
I don’t believe so.
OK. So, you’re a suicide survivor. Why is it important to have people with lived experience on both the Mental Health
and Wellbeing Commission and also in the Suicide Prevention Office?
I think it’s really hard to restructure something or a system that you’ve never been in. I think lived experience is so
important because a lot of, even the clinicians, don’t know what it’s like to be on the other side. So having that lived
experience is so vital if we want to actually see change that is going to be beneficial for this nation.
Right, so from what you’ve seen so far, is there enough of that in these boards that are being set up, the commission
that’s been set up?
Definitely not. I think that there’s sections of it that’s great, and people have been consulted. But I think looking at
the board that’s been appointed, I think we’re still lacking lived experience.
So there is, as far as I can see, one member who has lived experience on that particular commission, and you want a lot
more than that?
Definitely. The people that I deal with — I could not tell you how many times a week I call the police, how many times a
week I’m on the phone to the crisis team, how many times we’ve been turned away saying, ‘Come back when you’ve tried to
kill yourself.’ So I think that it takes someone who’s been in that position to know what is actually wrong and then how
to fix it.
OK, all right. You’re heading back to the United Nations next week to launch a global mental health campaign. So what
does that actually involve?
It’s the world’s first ever global mental health campaign. So, there’s 15 countries on it; it’s called Speak Your Mind.
And it’s a nationally driven, globally-led campaign, and it’s all about — every 40 seconds someone takes their life
around the world. So we’re encouraging people around the world to speak their mind for 40 seconds to their leaders about
what they want to see change around the world.
Right, so, 40 seconds is like a social media campaign, is it an advertising campaign? How does it work?
Social media campaign as well as advertising campaign as well. There’s some pretty huge names that have come on board
with it all around the world. And, um, yeah, so we’ll be launching it on the 23rd of—
So, when will we know who is actually involved along with you?
We can announce it, I believe, on the 23rd when it is launched.
And why you? How did you get involved in this?
I had a meeting with the CEO of United for Global Mental Health over in London, and she pitched the idea of this
campaign. And immediately myself and my co-founder were, like, ‘This is something that we want to do.’ There’s always, I
think, kind of country-led campaigns, but it’s so important to, look, that this is a worldwide issue; this isn’t a
single country issue. So it’s important we address it together.
All right, so speaking of the country-led, sort of, review and the country-led focus, we’ve had a big week of mental
health announcements, which is positive, you would say that?
Yes.
But is there anything missing apart from the amount of lived experience on, say, the Mental Health Commission?
I think it’s just really going into the details of it. You know, we’re looking at things like the HIPs that are going to
be put in all the GP clinics, the mental health professionals. And you look at it, it’s a fantastic idea, but there’s no
money for infrastructure, so the clinics that don’t have rooms for people to actually go, one of the HIPS to go in.
When you say ‘HIPs’, what’s a HIP?
It’s the health professional, so it’s the people that the GPs will be walking them down to their office if they come in
with a mental health issue. Which is a fantastic idea, but it’s looking at, ‘Actually, so how is this going to roll
out?’ But I think it’s going to do well.
So the expenditure that’s been announced so far is not very much, is it?
No.
No, OK. And so you’d like to see a lot more?
Yes.
But you’re hopeful that there will be more?
I definitely— yeah, I’m very hopeful.
OK. But last time you were on this show you said our mental health system only works if you are rich or dying. Is this
giving you any hope?
The early intervention stuff, yes. I think a lot has changed since I was last on this show, and I’m very thankful for
that. I was thinking back to myself when I was in the psych ward, and what would my teenage self think of everything
that was happening? And she’s so thankful. She’s so thankful that we are now looking at things like early intervention,
because I had asked for help when I was 12-years-old, when I was first suicidal. If I had been offered it back then, I
think it would have saved me years of heartache and psych wards and suicide attempts. So I’m hopeful.
All right, well, all the best of luck at the United Nations next week. Thanks you so much Jazz Thornton for coming on
the show.
Thank you so much.