Bid to cut Kaitaia suicide rate by removing guns

Easy access to guns could be pushing up Kaitaia's heart-breakingly high suicide rate.
Nine people north of the Mangamuka ranges committed suicide in the past 10 months - about 50.7 for every 100,000 people, compared with the national average of 10.1 in every 100,000.
Northland Health mental health manager Sue Wyeth said 55 percent of Kaitaia suicides result from gun shots, while the national average is only 10 percent.
She wants people who are aware of families or individuals experiencing difficulties to ask "where are your guns?".
"Removing guns is a good strategy. How many of them, if they hadn't had access to a gun, wouldn't have done it?"
Kaitaia Police senior sergeant Gordon Gunn said guns were a clear factor in a spate of suicides late last year.
He said "emotionally charged" incidents such when a Kaitaia man fired a shot during an argument with his partner on Saturday were typical of situations that could lead to a suicide.
If people were concerned about the mental state of a person they knew to have access to a gun, he invited them to notify their nearest police station or mental health workers.
Ms Wyeth said although Northland's suicide rate is higher, its "hospitalisation" rate for attempted suicides is lower, possibly because the methods used tended to be more lethal.
A major strategy aimed at reducing Kaitaia's suicide rate is to be launched early next year.
Part of the strategy would be to remove access to the "means" of suicides, such as guns.
She hoped soon to appoint a suicide reduction coordinator to implement the strategy which will target families, community personalities and agencies.
The programme's aims include educating GPs and agencies such as at Work and Income and Child Youth and Family about how to identify at-risk individuals; providing an outreach service for at-risk people; and providing support for whanau who have experienced a recent suicide.
A key aspect of the programme would be getting "community gate keepers" involved.
"We know that there are people who could go in and say, `Oi, you need to do something, go and do it. And if you're not going to do it, we are going to do it for you'. Everybody knows who they are - we are looking at approaching them and upskilling them."
Those people were "in touch" with the Kaitaia community.
"It's a small community and I'm quite optimistic about making a difference."
Ms Wyeth said it was not uncommon for a person to attempt suicide following an attempt only weeks earlier.
The first time the family had put the person to bed and hoped they would get better.
Kevin Robinson, who is a Kaitaia member of the Northland District Health Board community and public health committee, told its meeting yesterday that economic depression was a key factor in the high suicide rate.
The "everyday pressure" on families trying to run a house that was "falling down around their ears" was enormous.
Health board chairwoman Lynette Stewart told the meeting Far North families were suffering terribly because of the "unacceptable tragedy" of suicides.
"One thing I know is people with hope don't commit suicide."
She said Far North residents experienced high levels of emotional stress, and to be effective the strategy would need strong community support.
"The bottom line is I would not expect any strategy to be imposed on the people. It has to be home-grown, home-spun, home-decided, everything," she said.
Meanwhile a report by Northland medical officer of health Loek Henneveld calls for the coroner's court system to be reviewed to ensure timely inquests to assist with statistics and bereaved whanau and friends.
At present there is up to a three year delay between a death and coroner's report. He also called for an effective monitoring system to promote early interventions.
In June Far North Coroner Robin Fountain found nine suicides that had occurred in the Far North in the five months from last November were due to "unrecognised and usually untreated depression".
* Suicide Stats
Of 15 probable suicides in Northland in the first five months of 2005:
• 14 were male
• 13 were in the Far North
• 8 were Pakeha, 7 Maori
• The average age was 38
• Guns were used in eight cases
• Relationship problems were possibly a factor in nine cases