Suicide Prevention Australia is warning of growing concern in regions like Western NSW of an increase in suicide rates in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The peak body for the suicide prevention sector has released data from an online poll of 1026 adult Australians in the lead up to Thursday's World Suicide Prevention Day 2020.
In the YouGov poll commissioned by Suicide Prevention Australia, 72 per cent of regional participants identified drugs and alcohol as the biggest risk factor for suicide, up five per cent on the previous year.
About 68 per cent picked cost of living and personal debt, up four per cent; 66 per cent social isolation and loneliness, up six per cent; 58 per cent family relationships, up eight per cent; and 55 per cent the economy and jobs, up seven per cent.
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The new research shows 67 per cent of regional Australians are more likely to lose family, friends and community members compared to 60 per cent of city dwellers.
Suicide Prevention Australia chief executive officer Nieves Murray is calling for a standalone National Suicide Prevention Act that takes a "whole of government, not just mental health approach" to preventing suicide.
"I live in our regions and you only have to look around and see that global disasters like COVID-19 hit our local economies, communities and services harder and faster than our capital cities," she said.
"The better we can proactively predict what economic and social risks are facing our regional and rural communities, the better we can prepare Australians and prevent suicide rates increasing."
Suicide Prevention Australia reports of more than eight Australians dying from suicide each day, 75 per cent of them men.
For help, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or in the case of "immediate danger" triple zero.
