A RECENT spike of young people from the ACT taking their lives has been a catalyst behind a report tabled to the ACT Legislative Assembly this week.

The ACT Children and Young People Death Review Committee’s report reviewed the deaths of eight young people who died by suicide between 2017 and 2019.

Committee chairperson Margaret Carmody said the report explored the significant systemic factors that can contribute to attempting suicide.

“It highlights that it is crucial for parents, educators and peers to have information,” Ms Carmody said, “so that they are able to effectively respond to young people in distress”.

Since 2004, either one or two young Canberrans have taken their own life annually.

But in 2018, that average number jumped to five deaths for the year, which prompted the committee to undertake a review.

The report offered key insights to support services, schools, family and peers to reduce the future likelihood of young people dying by suicide.

“For most young people in the review, their presentation would not have been dissimilar to many of their peers,” Ms Carmody said.

“They were attending school, had an engaged parent and a strong peer network.

“Often it was only their peers and family that were aware of the distress they were in.”

The committee made seven recommendations to complement existing reform among the “significant service reform” currently underway.

New recommendations include policy and practices of government and non-government organisations, to service gaps in support of young people that had attempted suicide and the critical importance of information sharing.

“Evaluation and implementation of formal government and non-government support services is critical in effective suicide prevention,” Ms Carmody said.

“However, this review has also identified that informal supports that surround young people are equally important.

“This requires a whole of community response to suicide prevention that provides those closest to young people in distress, the guidance and tools to intervene and access specialised support.”

The independent committee was first established under ACT legislation to work towards reducing the number of deaths as a result of intentional self-harm of children and young people in the territory.

The legislation stipulated the committee must not report on the causes of death of those cases being heard in the Coroner’s Court, but that does not exclude the reporting of the numbers of deaths.

But despite a peak in 2018 with five suicides, there was no mention of the cause of deaths that experts commonly link to an individual process.

“The committee recognises that every death of a young person is a tragedy and puts forward the recommendations to improve practice and reduce preventable deaths, like suicide,” Ms Carmody said.

“The committee acknowledges the grief for the families and friends of young people who have suicided.”