Health and wellbeing in rural communities

Fires, droughts, and flooding in recent years have resulted in increased rates of men in rural and regional Australia taking their own lives.

According to Associate Professor Myfanwy Maple, an expert on suicide prevention, 2500 people commit suicide each year in Australia alone and current prevention strategies are having little effect.

“We don’t know why some people are more exposed to risk than others. But we do know some people are more resilient, and better understanding them is important to thinking about suitable intervention. What is it about these people that we can learn from to better support people who are vulnerable? That’s just as important to understand.”
Myf’s research was a part of a federal government’s Collaborative Research Network (CRN) based at UNE between 2011 and 2014. UNE received a $4.8 million grant to establish a research program, involving five other universities to address mental health and wellbeing in rural and regional communities.

Myf Maple speaking to a man outdoors in a bush setting

Associate Professor Myf Maple

Associate Professor Maple explains that suicide is 
like “a pebble dropping into a pond”; ripple effects go out in ever increasing circles. “There’s not really good evidence on whether or not rural Australians are more susceptible to mental health issues than their urban counterparts. But certainly we see that those pressure points are having a greater impact on more people within close-knit communities,’’ she said.

Myf’s research looked into the resilience and flexibility of people facing high-stress circumstances. “What is it about these people that we can learn from to better support people who are vulnerable? That’s just as important to understand.”

Now that the CRN has finished, Myf has turned her attention to understanding resilience and its contribution to effective community engagement projects. She suspects that resilience is a major component of the success of BackTrack, a rural youth intervention program in Armidale.

“In terms of suicide prevention in the future, we must look beyond risk factors, and build individual and community resilience.”

Understanding this success will enable other communities to develop services for young people affected by mental illness, substance abuse, criminal activity and lack of education.