Suicide prevention

We agree with Eggertson and Patrick that suicide prevention needs attention.1 However, we cannot agree that another strategy is the solution. Strategies do exist; now is the time to put them into action.

We aren’t lacking in guidance — we have a roadmap, arrived at through extensive consultation. Suicide prevention is an integral component of Changing directions, changing lives: the mental health strategy for Canada2 and its companion piece, The mental health strategy for Canada: a youth perspective.3 Most Canadians who die by suicide are confronting mental health problems or illnesses and share many common risk factors.

We cannot effectively address suicide prevention in isolation from the broader context, which includes a commitment to early identification, timely access to services, treatment and support, and the reduction of the stigma associated with mental health problems and illnesses — all of which figure prominently in the strategy.2 We cannot in good conscience let a thoughtful document that contains such collective wisdom, gather dust.

That is why the Mental Health Commission of Canada has put forward an evidence-based, action-oriented program to address suicide prevention at the community level. This far-reaching project accounts for fiscal reality and maximizes the use of community resources. It offers a multi-faceted approach to a complex problem — but its actions are simple. It will provide key community members (from coaches and barbers to educators, health care providers and spiritual leaders) with the knowledge and tools to identify those at risk of suicide and connect them to help. It will enhance specialized supports for crises situations and restrict access to methods or places where a high number of suicides occur. The project will improve public awareness and foster bolder research to expand our knowledge about suicide prevention.

Examining this challenging public health issue through a holistic lens is why Inuit Tapiirit Kanatami (ITK), the national Inuit political association, has released the National Inuit Suicide Prevention Strategy.4 ITK and other indigenous communities, like the Thunderbird Partnership Foundation, have taken ownership of the staggering challenge facing its communities.

When it comes to saving the lives of 4000 Canadians every year, we don’t have time to reinvent the wheel. The tools and resources, including the 94 calls to action outlined in the final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, are there.2^–5