What is suicide? What is mental health? Believe it or not, these are frequently asked questions. Suicide is, "the act or an instance of taking one's own life voluntarily and intentionally." Mental health is, "a person's condition with regard to their psychological and emotional well-being." However, there is so much more to suicide and mental health then those definitions.

I recently had the opportunity to visit Queens Park with my fellow Girls Government members. Girls Government was a program started by Peggy Sattler, former MPP. This program gave Grade 8 girls the opportunity to have a voice on global issues. In the program we debated between the 7 of us, which global issue was best to take to Queens Park. We finally decided on suicide prevention in youth.

I believe my voice does not have to stop with the end of my Queen's Park visit. I feel that we need to talk about suicide prevention, not just in youth, but for all ages. The reason we talk about suicide and mental health together is because often suicide is triggered by mental health. About 3,600 people die by suicide in Canada each year, that is about 10 suicides per day. Approximately one quarter of First Nations adults reported contemplating suicide at some point in their life. These alarming rates have also been reported among young First Nation females dying by suicide at the rate of 35 per 100,000 people, while non-aboriginal females had a rate of just 5 per 100,000.

Of 3319 suicide deaths, 60 were homeless and 230 were precariously housed (seeking housing with friends or relatives or living day to day with money options running out). It is alarming that people living in these tough situations tend to attempt suicide and/or die by suicide at these alarming rates. Targeted suicide prevention strategies should aim to address the factors specific to homeless people.

Research shows us that suicide is a problem for all ages, all genders, all backgrounds, and all people regardless of where or how they live. I believe that in order to help save people from ending their lives, we need to educate people on suicide and mental health. I did not learn about suicide and mental health until becoming a part of the Girl's Government Program, and that was in Grade 8. We need to teach people at an early age about mental health, and about the signs of suicide. If we are able to recognize these signs, and in doing so become suicide aware, then we could possibly save a life.

When we went to Queens park one focus was to make mental health curriculum mandatory for all grades, beginning with social-emotional learning for primary students, mental health promotion for grades 4-6, suicide prevention and awareness for grades 7 and above, and suicide-aware training for secondary school students.

In order to do that we need to provide funding to develop age-appropriate, evidence-based curriculum resources, provide funding to support teacher professional development on the new mental health curriculum, and incorporate mental health training into teacher education programs delivered by Ontario Faculties of Education.

Did you know that 1 in 20 people think about suicide at any given time? The thoughts cannot be prevented but the action can be. Most people give a cry for help before attempting suicide. Very few people give no clues to suicide; therefore, it is important to recognize these desperate cries for help. We have many supports for people and families who have been affected by suicide. The problem is that people are afraid to speak up due to the stigma associated with suicide, causing people to worry about being perceived as weak. What can you/we do to help? It is important to learn about the signs of suicide, and not be afraid to talk about it. There is no shame in feeling suicidal. Life can get very messy and challenging, and if you do not have a support system, or people to talk to, it can be easy to think about giving up. It is important to remember that for all the reasons why someone might think to commit suicide, there will always be more reasons for why not to and we are in charge of bringing light to these reasons for those who need it.


Written By: Adria Gioiosa