“Changing the narrative on suicide” is the theme for this year’s World Suicide Prevention Day.

Mereana Taikoko, director of Te Kainga O Pa Taunga – Cook Islands mental health organisation, says Yellow Ribbon Awareness or Suicide Awareness will be held from September 10.

Te Kainga is encouraging people who are feeling suicidal to come forward and seek help and for families to show their support.

Taikoko said suicide was a major public health challenge, with more than 700,000 deaths each year globally.

Each suicide has far-reaching social, emotional, and economic consequences, and deeply affects individuals and communities worldwide.

This year’s theme aims to raise awareness about the importance of reducing stigma and encouraging open conversations to prevent suicides and emphasises the need to prioritise suicide prevention and mental health in policy making, calling for government action.

According to Te Marae Ora’s National Health Bulletin 2021-2023 report, over the last decade, Cook Islands has documented a total of 19 deaths resulting from intentional self-harm, with average suicide rates of 1.2 per 10,000 population.

The report states that throughout this timeframe, a slight downward trend has been reported. Notably, in the last two years (2022 and 2023) which reported a total of two suicide related deaths.

Historically, suicides in the Cook Islands have been more common among males which has 14 cases between the years 2014-2023, according to the report.

“However, over the last five years, there has been a shift in this pattern, with suicides occurring equally among both sexes,” the report states.

Taikoko says families and friends need to provide support to those who feel like committing suicide or have attempted to commit suicide and to the families affected instead of being judgemental.

“This is a public health problem. If you have a suicidal feeling, you shouldn't feel ashamed of that. Because that’s actually a normal feeling when you’re down and when you’re feeling down, hurt and everything’s sort of hopeless, you shouldn’t be punished for feeling like that,” she said.

“People are more or less likely to come forward and look for help, so we should be able to provide the support they need during that time.”
Taikoko said that support could include how one talks to them, reaching out to them, and encouraging them to seek assistance.

She said that sometimes people needed to be reminded that they are cared for and if they have problem there are agencies and people available to assist.

“As Christians, we have our spiritual counsellor…the Holy Spirit…always there. They say, ‘oh, there’s nobody I can talk to’. But we’re never alone, there’s always the Holy Spirit there with us. Or you can go to your own doctor, we provide those services and counselling or go to your parents,” Taikoko said.

“If you’re a young person, you should be going to your parents. But not all young person’s get on with their parents or their primary carers, you know because they want to be independent, want to do their own thing, and they like to rebel too.

“They won’t listen, but it’s just the phase they go through in their development. But we shouldn’t give up on them … we should be there providing help, support, and not look down on them.

“Encourage them to talk about it, tell them you can’t keep feeling suicidal? Why, why do you need it? And say you’re okay, you’ve got everything.”

Taikoko added that sometimes people pick some way of ending their life, “but they don’t really know that it’s actually a fatal one”.

“They think, oh, you know, it’s not. And many who are suicidal don’t really want to die… It’s a cry for help,” she added.

If you need support for yourself or someone else, you can contact Te Kainga on 20162 or 50633 or Te Marae Ora Help Line: 0800 1814 or Mobile: 54881 (Dr Evangeline Wong) or you can contact TMO Mental Health Office: 25664.