Dunne: First step taken on new suicide reporting guidelines

Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne today convened a roundtable meeting of media, mental health professional and researchers as a first step in coming up with new guidelines for media reporting of suicides.

The meeting, originally set for last month but delayed because of the Christchurch earthquake, resolved to form a Working Group to report back by the end of April with an initial draft of recommendations and potential revised guidelines.

“We will then peer review the work done and look to widen the consultation, particularly involving those impacted by suicide. We will want their views and feedback,” Mr Dunne said.

The Prime Minister’s chief science adviser, Sir Peter Gluckman and Chief Coroner, Judge Neil MacLean, who were unable to attend today, will be briefed and brought into the process, he said.

“It is my aim to have new guidelines in place later this year. This is an important opportunity to really improve the understanding and handling of suicide in our public forums, and we do not want to just swap one set of words for another,” Mr Dunne said.

“What was notable was the extent to which both media and clinicians generally agreed on the outcomes we are looking to achieve, and how to get there,” he said.

Last year, Prime Minister John Key directed the Ministerial Committee on Suicide Prevention to consider whether the current controls around suicide reporting in the media were appropriate following comments by the Chief Coroner.

The Committee reported to the Prime Minister that the media guidelines had not been reviewed since first published in 1999 and that there would be benefit in undertaking a review.

The Ministerial Committee on Suicide Prevention report to the Prime Minister is at http://www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf/indexmh/suicideprevention-committee#mcspreport

Help lines
Depression helpline (0800 111 757)
Youthline (0800 376 633)
Lifeline (0800 543 354)
Samaritans (0800 726 666)

Websites
A website for young people dealing with depression is at www.thelowdown.co.nz, which includes advice and support from young New Zealand celebrities who have experienced depression.

A new depression self-management programme presented by John Kirwan is available at www.depression.org.nz.