A safe space for suicide prevention will launch in Charlestown next month to give people in distress somewhere to turn for help and support. Login or signup to continue reading The space, which will welcome those facing suicidal thoughts or life crises to drop in, will be led by people with experience of living with mental illness . Healing Path to Wellness, a health charity, will run the space "in response to the alarming demand for accessible care".
Director Craig Sparrow said the charity "aimed to fill gaps in the mental health system". "For too long, people in our community have been slipping through the cracks," Mr Sparrow said. Health data shows 1552 people took their lives in Hunter New England from 2011 to 2022, the most of any district in NSW.
The Hunter district's rate of suicides was 14.9 per 100,000 people, above the state rate of 10.8 and national rate of 12.
3 Mr Sparrow said suicide deaths were "often triggered by life crises such as financial pressures, relationship breakdowns or poor health outcomes". "These stressors can build up and amplify anxiety, leading to suicidal thoughts, especially when people feel there are no other hopeful options." Hugh Boyd, a former Newcastle police officer, will help those in need at the safe space.
Mr Boyd, who experienced PTSD from his police work, said the safe space would help "people who are really suffering find some peace and equilibrium". "Being alongside someone in their darkest hour and showing them there's hope is th.