GN releases suicide prevention strategy

Nunavut's recently-released plan to curb suicide holds promise, but the real test will be whether the Nunavut government follows through on such crucial issues as improving access to addictions counselling, says an expert from Greenland.

"It's a sign that the politicians are aware of the problem, but it doesn't automatically mean they're doing something about it," says Jette Eistrup, who is responsible for coordinating Greenland's suicide prevention plan, which was introduced two years ago.

On Friday last week, Nunavut announced a similar initiative, Annirusuktugut: A Suicide Intervention and Prevention Plan.

The plan includes many recommendations, from improving addictions counselling and mental health services to calling for more Inuktitut-speaking teachers, more money for hunters to run land-trips for kids, and more support for elders.

The plan also says the government should do more to help Isaksimagit Inuusirmi Katujjiqatigiit, Nunavut's Embrace Life Council.

But Nunavut gives itself several years to put most of the recommendations in place.

For example, a simple tool to help communities evaluate their existing suicide prevention materials should be put in place in two years following the plan's implementation.

It's unclear what sort of evaluation will be held to measure how well the government meets its targets. But Eistrup says such an evaluation is best conducted by someone independent of the government.

Greenland hired two consultants from other countries to evaluate their plan's implementation.

Nunavut does plan to look at the "best practices" in other jurisdictions that struggle with high suicide rates, such as Australia, Greenland and Alaska. This, and other recommendations, would be overseen by a small office created to follow the plan through.

Since Nunavut's creation, 222 residents have taken their own lives – 40 per cent of deaths investigated by the territory's coroner were caused by residents taking their own lives, the plan says.

Other recommendations of the Nunavut plan include the following:

• Nunavut should start keeping track of the number of attempted suicides in the territory;
• Nunavut's suicide prevention materials should be available from a single web site, for easy access;
• Government workers should receive suicide intervention training, and municipalities should receive money to hold similar meetings for staff;
• Each government department should have a suicide intervention plan, used to help cope with community trauma following a suicide, updated on an annual basis. Drafts of such plans have existed for years in Nunavut, but some were never put in place.

The World Health Organization describes a suicide prevention strategy as an important first step in combating what it describes as a preventable disaster.

"But it's not desk work," said Eistrup. Instead, it largely means supporting the people who work on the ground with residents considered at-risk for attempting suicide. That means Nunavut's teachers, nurses and other social workers.

These are the same front-line workers who often complain in Nunavut about being burned out, overworked and not having access to adequate resources.

Eistrup also said the role of government in suicide prevention should not overshadow the importance of determined individuals in communities. What's important is the government gives these people what they need, rather than get in the way.

She describes a store clerk in Upernavik who appeared one evening during a public meeting and helped organize coffee houses and other regular activities to bring together people in the community. "It put it into shape."

After listening to community concerns, one result from Greenland's suicide prevention plan was the introduction of courses to strengthen parenting skills. "Parents come and learn how to be good parents. Many people are extremely happy for that."

It's too early to say whether Greenland's suicide prevention plan is working. "I'd like to know that too," Eistrup said. The most she can say is it doesn't look any worse: usually Greenland has about 15 suicides by this time of year. So far, they've had eight.

But because both Nunavut and Greenland have small populations, it's hard to get a grip on whether a year with few suicides is a promising trend, or a statistical blip.

"We're talking about making people behave differently. That's the hardest and most difficult thing in the whole world," Eistrup said.

"It will take some time."

Eistrup found each community in Greenland was at a different stage of acknowledging suicide as a problem and confronting it. "You have to go out to every single community and find out. Can they talk about it? Some can't."

She stresses you don't need to be an expert to help people who may be considering taking their lives.

"We can't have 5,600 psychologists visiting in Greenland," she said.

"Maybe the most important thing is… that you talk to people about your feelings," she said. "That's the most important thing, that we talk to each other, and share our hopes and fears and dreams."

"You don't have to be lonely."