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Looking after our mental health and talking about suicide can be challenging. 

Tomorrow, October 10, is World Mental Health Day and a free talk at Lismore Regional Gallery looks at how we can support mental health and suicide prevention.

"Opening Hearts and Minds - how do we talk about suicide?" is part of the Thursday Night Live! talk series and begins at 6pm.

The event will be facilitated by Rose Hogan from StandBy NSW Suicide Support, along with a panel of expert speakers. 

“When we speak of suicide, we speak of people not numbers and accept there will be many grieving this loss,” Rose said.

“We open the heart’s capacity for unconditional regard, support and non-judgement knowing my grief experience will be different from yours. 

“I am here, I walk alongside you."

Rose Hogan is a community service provider, educator and strong advocate for collaboration among service providers, acknowledging it takes many to support a healthy, vibrant and diverse community.

For the past six years she has managed StandBy - Support after Suicide, a postvention response to support the health and wellbeing of people, including children and young people, bereaved and impacted through suicide loss.

Rose will be joined by Luke Rugendyke and Nerida Barclay from Headspace, Ben Karsay from Beyond Empathy and Colin Marsh from Rekindling The Spirit.

The Slate Gallery Cafe opens at 5.30pm and the panel conversation begins at 6pm. 

At the free talk, an Auslan interpreter is available on request.

You can listen to the Thursday Night Live! podcast now available on iTunes; Stitcher and Soundcloud.

Thursday Night Live! is an evening of provocation, discussion and dialogue. Thursday Night Live! is a partnership event of Southern Cross University and the Lismore Regional Gallery.

Suicide facts:

• Every year globally, close to 800 000 people take their own life and there are many more people who attempt suicide. 
• Every suicide is a tragedy that affects families, communities and entire countries and has long-lasting effects on the people left behind. 
• People of all ages, races, genders, incomes and family backgrounds commit suicide. 
• But young people are especially at risk.
• Suicide is the leading cause of death among young Australians. 
• About 350 young people aged 15–24 take their own lives every year – more than die on the roads. 
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• For every youth suicide, there are 100 to 200 more attempts. 

Every year:

• Over 65,000 Australians make a suicide attempt
• More than 3,000 Australians died by suicide in 2017 1
• Suicide is the leading cause of death for Australians between 15 and 44 years of age 2
• Young Australians are more likely to take their own life than die in motor vehicle accidents
• In 2017, about 75% of people who died by suicide were males and 25% were females 1
• In 2017, the suicide rate among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people was approximately twice that of non-Indigenous Australians 1