By Taylor MacPherson

Community response most important in wake of suicides: La Ronge psychologist

Oct 17, 2016 | 6:08 PM

Despite the various external supports which are temporarily in place to help the grieving populations of La Ronge and Stanley Mission, one mental health worker says it will take a community response to prevent further tragedies.

Twenty-four mental health workers descended on the communities to offer round-the-clock support after the recent suicides of three young girls.

Dr. Lloyd Robertson, who has been practicing psychology in La Ronge for 25 years, says the community’s response will be the most important in preventing further tragedies.

According to Robertson, who has practiced psychology in La Ronge for the past 25, external supports are important and effective, but don’t create long-term change.

“We need to have those expert resources in place,” Robertson said. “But all the outsiders in the world aren’t going to fix the problem. It’s got to be a community response as well.”

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Although temporary supports can be effective, Robertson said there is a lack of status quo funding for mental healthcare visible in La Ronge, where the Mamaewtan Chuchill River Health Region maintains a mental health program without a staff psychologist.

“I’m the first one to tell you there should be more resources for mental health,” Robertson said.

According to Robertson, suicides tend to occur in groups because the initial death plants the idea in the entire community.

“When you get a suicide, it spreads the memo to others in the community,” he said. “When one member of a family commits suicide, the other family members are at higher risk because they’ve just seen the example.”

Robertson said this disturbing trend often impacts youth disproportionately due to disconnection from their community or ideas of death which have not fully developed.

“Youth need a connection with other generations,” he said. “Where there’s not sufficient communication that connection is lost and the youth are left looking to each other for wisdom they don’t have.”

Robertson says the communities need to strengthen themselves from within if they hope to avoid further tragedies. Community development and volunteer initiatives, he explained, allow people to proactively take power over their own future.

“We need to reinvigorate the community somehow,” he said. “We need a sense of volunteerism in our community, and that’s often lacking.”

According to Robertson, past community development initiatives have seen success in Stanley Mission. He said the community went from being labelled the suicide capital of Canada in 1992 to completing a seven-year period without a completed suicide thanks to community efforts to create a healthier culture.

Unfortunately, Robertson said, the Stanley Mission community development movement eventually lost support and membership before folding altogether. Yet, the example remains for today’s generation.

“You want to find out what works? Take a look at what worked in the past,” Robertson said. “We need to invigorate that spirit.”

If you are in crisis contact the Prince Albert Mobile Crisis Unit which is staffed 24-7, at 306-764-1011.

Taylor.macpherson@jpbg.ca

@TMacPhersonNews