Suicide deaths: Lifeline urges people to look out or changes in behaviour

Of those deaths, 23 were male and four were female.

The grim data was released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare recently and it shows the top 20 causes of death by local government area from 2014-18.

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In Griffith, suicide was the 18th most common cause of death and it accounted for 1.3 per cent (13 people) of all deaths.

This is below the NSW rate of 2.4 per cent (where it ranked as 9th) and the national rate of 1.9 per cent (where it ranked 11th).

In Leeton it ranked 12th at 1.8 per cent (nine people) of all deaths and in Murrumbidgee it was also 12th at 1.8 per cent (three deaths).

In Carrathool two people died from suicide and it ranked as the 11th most common way to die at 2.5 per cent of all deaths.

Suicide data might be shocking, but every death was someone's brother, sister, mother or father, Lifeline chief executive officer Stephanie Robinson said.

"We know that for every completed suicide, there's at least 20 attempts," she said.

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"It's the biggest killer of men and women aged 15 to 44 years old."

Ms Robinson said family and friends are often left shocked when someone they know dies by suicide.

"Overwhelmingly people say 'if I had have known and if I had have seen the signs I would have helped that person'," she said.

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"They say, if they 'could have changed the outcome' they would have."

Ms Robinson urged those left behind not to feel guilt and said that no-one is to blame for suicide.

"At the end of the day you can't control people's actions," she said.

"People get very good at allowing people to see what they want them to see.

"You don't know what you don't know."

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She urged people to be alert to any behavioural changes in their friends and family, and in particular to anyone who withdraws from the life they once lived.

"The thought of having to reach out to someone else is a big ask when you're in a big, dark depression," she said.

"So many people have that attitude where it won't happen to us.

"Every life matters, lets make it count."

For help in a crisis call Lifeline 24 hours a day on 13 11 14.

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