Nearly 40% of Australians have been touched by suicide
The ABS survey looks at people's experiences with mental health, with the results reinforcing how widespread the issue is, says Dr Ruth Vine
Nearly 40% of Australians say they have been close to someone who had died by or attempted suicide, new figures show.
They are based on the first survey in 15 years conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on the nation’s mental health and well-being.
But it is also the first time the bureau has collected data from people about their lived experiences with suicide, self-harm and binge eating.
Respondents were asked if they had ever been close to someone who had taken or attempted to take their own life.
