New website targets depression

A new website designed to stem the climbing rate of suicide in regional and rural NSW has been launched.

Despite being a problem that has afflicted countless families in rural and regional NSW, Suicide Awareness president Val Rowe said country people have always lacked an information source specifically targeted at them.

Mrs Rowe said the organisation's new website was aimed at assisting country people who have become aware they, or someone they know, are in decline.

"(Suicide) has been a big problem in country NSW and it will continue to be a problem unless more people are aware of it," she said.

According to the NSW Health Suicide Data Report, 158 lives were lost to suicide in the region between 2000 and 2003.

"There are so many factors that contribute to it that are unique to regional areas like drought, high unemployment and isolation, for example," Mrs Rowe said.

The website, which took Mrs Rowe two years to develop, features information designed to alert both sufferers of depression and mental illness - and those close to them - to methods of help.

Included in the site is a section to place memorials to lost loved ones, links to 24 hour help lines, a message board for users to discuss their problems and relevant medical information.

If we could encourage everybody to learn the signs of depression and what to do if someone was in trouble then the goals of the website would have been met," Mrs Rowe said.

"Essentially we want to stop the problem at the depressed stage before it goes any further - that's what it's all about."

Mrs Rowe said the website was designed to "stand out" from other websites that offer similiar services.

"When you go into most suicide sites, even though they have all the information there, they're very draining and very emotional," she said. "This site is quite colourful, and hopefully inspirational. We just want to give people hope."

by Jeremy Scott, The Daily Liberal (Dubbo), March 6th 2006.