RPI Board Member Christine Thomas discusses her work on this landmark report
Since sharing our research at the Australian Indigenous Psychologists Association National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Conference on Kaurna Country, the response has been humbling and the urgency has not diminished.
Today we share the full story of Holding Hope: Preventing Suicide among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Young People in New South Wales.
For those who are ready to go deeper – this is for you.
This film tells the full story of what we found across three years of research: 43 case files, five community workshops, 76 community members, voices from Nowra to Dubbo and what all of it is calling us to do.
The scale of this crisis demands we keep naming it:
🔴 Nationally, suicide rates among First Nations people aged 0–24 were nearly three times higher than non-Indigenous peers (2019–2023)
🔴 In NSW, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 10–17 die by suicide at almost four times the rate of non-Indigenous young people
🔴 In NSW in 2020–2021, suicide accounted for almost one in four deaths among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 10–17
Not one Aboriginal family has been untouched.
What the full research reveals:
🔥 Systems consistently missed opportunities to help warning signs were there and they were missed
🔥 88% of the young people in our case review had experienced one or more adverse childhood experiences
🔥 Services are fragmented, culturally unsafe and failing to work together
🔥 Short-term, competitive funding is shutting community-led providers out – creating service deserts where they are needed most
🔥 And yet every young person also showed moments of extraordinary strength
This is not just research. It is 23 clear, actionable recommendations for governments, systems and services. It is a roadmap. And it is urgent.
If you are a policymaker, a health professional, a community leader, a researcher or anyone with influence over the systems that touch the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people – please watch, share and act.
📄 Community Report: https://lnkd.in/gBBV5MzF
📄 Research Report: https://lnkd.in/ggUCVeMw
▶️ 3-minute overview: [ COMING SOON ]
We continue to hold deep gratitude for all those who walk with us in this work.
To the families and communities carrying the grief of losing a child or young person your loss is the reason this work exists and your strength in the face of that grief is humbling beyond words.
To the frontline workers, community champions and Elders your dedication does not go unseen.
To everyone who walked alongside us – this work is yours.
And a heartfelt thank you to our videographers Tye Thomas and Tory Passi and to producer Harry Vale of Vale Studio, who brought this work to life through visual storytelling.
Because even in the weight of sorrow, we still hold hope.
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