The World Health Organisation has released confronting information and statistics on the current state of mental health and illness across the globe.
The information states that ‘one person commits suicide every 40 seconds’ which is more casualties than deaths from war or natural disaster.
St John (Qld) State Youth Development Officer Darryl Clare said the statistics were alarming.
“There is a strange stigma around mental illness that ‘it won’t happen to me’ or ‘it isn’t real’, however it is becoming one of the biggest killers of our community, particularly in our young people aged 15 – 29 years,” he said.
“Mental illness is a serious topic which all people need to be aware of – they need to know how to identify it in themselves, friends or family, and how to assist a person going through a mental health crisis.”
Darryl said a person with a mental illness requires a supportive group around them to assist them towards the road to recovery.
“Just as family and friends would rally around a cancer patient to offer support, love and understanding, so too must those offer the same level of support to someone suffering from a mental illness,” he said.
The World Health Organisation states that suicides are preventable.
St John Ambulance (Qld) offers a non-accredited mental health awareness course, which teaches people how to assist someone experiencing a mental health crisis as well as the signs and symptoms of mental health problems, where and how to get help and what sort of help can be effective.
To book, visit www.stjohnqld.com.au or call 1300 360 455.
Photo ops and interviews are available upon request.
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Media contact: Angela Madden on (07) 3253 0579.