1. News
Researcher probing life after suicide
attempts
30th Mar 2015 4:19 PM
9 5
SHARE EMAIL PRINT
1 COMMENTS
USE THIS CONTENT
A researcher wants to talk to people who have survived a suicide attempt and embraced life.
Contributed
HOW do people recover from a suicide attempt?
This is the question being investigated by Kerri Jackson, a research higher degree student at
Central Queensland University.
She is looking for 14 people aged 18 and over, who have lived through a suicide attempt and are
willing to share their experiences of "re-engaging with life".
They must have had enough time since their suicide attempt for changes to have occurred in
their life, which enabled them to re-balance and create a better one.

2. Kerri's study aims to look at how people recover and move on with their live, how they get better,
instead of why they became unwell.
It responds to the calls for more research into the "lived" or personal experience of people who
have attempted suicide. It focuses on how people have found the strength to go on, and is in the
vanguard of this new direction in suicide prevention research.
"I believe that talking about suicide saves lives," Ms Jackson said.
"In the end suicide, like child protection, is everyone's business. We are each other's keeper.
"Many people are touched by suicide, and in my experience, people want to talk about it. As a
community, we need to start talking about suicide, we need to learn about the myths of suicide,
we need to learn about how to get help for ourselves, and we need to learn how to recognise and
respond to vulnerable people at risk of suicide before it is too late.
"Each of us can make a difference, if we know how."
Participation in the study will entail a one hour interview with the researcher, followed by a
telephone interview, one week later to discuss the participant's response to the interview
process.
They can receive a written copy of their interview; have the opportunity to make further comment,
and/or be informed of the progress of the study, if they choose.
The World Health Organisation estimates nearly one million people die by suicide each year and
suicide rates have increased by 60% over the past 45 years.
In Australia, where the suicide rate has been rising steadily since 2006, it is thought that over
60,000 people a year - about 164/day - attempt to take their own lives, the majority of whom are
women.
Anyone who would like to know more about the study can contact Kerri Jackson at
kerri.jackson@cqumail.com.
If you or anyone you know is depressed or contemplating suicide, contact Lifeline on 131114.