SPR30831 WLF SPA WhitePaper v12 - Flipbook - Page 30
Appendix
Close to 50 per cent of the respondents reported a negative impact on people’s employment in
their community, and the majority (33.33 per cent) reported a strong negative impact on financial
wellbeing. As per some Suicide Prevention Network members, in regional and remote rural areas
individuals working in non-essential industries have lost employment. As a result of these issues,
Network members have expressed concern for coping strategies such as an increase in
gambling, and the long-term impacts of such behaviours.
A significant amount (44.44 per cent) also believed COVID-19 has had a negative impact on grief
and loss in their communities. This is especially true in communities where kinship ties are
strong, and a feeling of guilt remains from being unable to formally bid farewell to loved ones
who have died by suicide or any other cause.
c. For this question, support services refer to services offered for domestic violence, suicide
prevention, mental health and wellbeing, drug and alcohol use, homelessness, grief and loss
programs, employment and financial wellbeing.
In your community do you
think access to support
services has changed?
6.67%
(n =30)
23.33%
Slightly
40%
Moderately
Considerably
30%
A great deal
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45%
How do you think access to
support services has changed?
27.59%
(n =29)
6.90%
Increased
No change
Reduced
44.83%
Reduced significantly
20.69%
0%
How would you rate your
access to support services?
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
6.67%
(n =30)
23.33%
Poor
Below average
20.00%
Average
Good
43.33%
Excellent
6.67%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
As demonstrated in the graphs above, 40% per cent of the respondents reported that access to
support services have considerably changed, with 44.83 per cent believing that access has
Reducing distress in the community following the COVID-19 pandemic
June 2020
30
