Through Ursula Wharton’s kitchen window, cane fields and mountain…

Question Answered step-by-step Through Ursula Wharton’s kitchen window, cane fields and mountain… Through Ursula Wharton’s kitchen window, cane fields and mountain silhouettes line the horizon — a legacy of the Mt Warning shield volcano that dominates the landscape around it.Nestled on the foothills of the McPherson Range in northern New South Wales, Murwillumbah is typical of the Tweed Valley’s allure, here, everyone knows each other. It’s one of those hackneyed cliches often assigned to country communities, but ask around and you’ll understand why the phrase has stuck.It’s not that everyone knows each other by name — it’s that everyone seems to know someone. Someone who has lost a loved one to suicide; someone who has become acquainted with the black dog.For Ursula, the human toll of the crisis is written in ink.”Love. Peace. Help the world,” her 17-year-old son Joshua scrawled on a scrap of paper, the day after leaving the emergency department for the final time. “It will get better… can only get better.”Fixed in a lavender frame adorned by puzzle pieces, his words leave an unsettling dichotomy: a childlike innocence veiling the internal battles of a boy determined to keep his head above water, even in the face of uncertain seas. Diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder as a child, the 17-year-old was no stranger to the health system, nor the cracks that have come to define it., but after a traumatic incident some two years prior, Joshua’s mental state deteriorated.  Dogged by major depressive episodes and repeated suicide attempts, he was admitted to hospital in September 2017, desperate for support.Three days later, Joshua made another attempt. After 11 days in the intensive care unit, he passed away.His death would be but one of 98 that year nationally among children aged between five and 17 — a 10 per cent increase on the previous year. In 2018, the most recent data available, that figure rose once more, making suicide the leading cause of death among Australian children.Sometimes the big picture is best seen by looking at its smallest parts — the lives lost and the communities that mourn them.While the scope of the problem is difficult to quantify across the North Coast region — a sprawling expanse of fertile valleys and panoramic coastlines, extending south from the Queensland border to Port Macquarie — its impact is profound.In 2016-17, the rate of self-harm hospitalisations among 15-24 year olds in Northern NSW (821.7 per 100,000 people) was more than double that of the NSW state average (363.6 per 100,000 people).A community survey conducted by the North Coast Primary Health Network found that mental health issues (64.9 per cent) and suicide (39.5 per cent) were among the top three most serious health concerns for young people who live here.But despite this, it also found 27.1 per cent of younger respondents found it “difficult” or “very difficult” to access specialists, like a psychiatrist. For those over 24 years of age, that figure is closer to one in every two people.For Kat Fermanis, these aren’t just statistics. They’re people — neighbours.A youth and family support worker by day, Kat is also chairperson of Cabarita Youth Services — the only volunteer-run youth services platform on the Tweed Coast.”If you’re not suicidal between the hours of nine to five, your ability to access services becomes very limited,” she offers. “People in crisis, it doesn’t happen during business hours. It’s often in the wee hours of the morning or the after hours stuff.” Pull up stumps along the Cabarita foreshore, a 20-minute drive east of Murwillumbah, and you’ll come to understand Kat’s deep-seated connection to the region.When she speaks about home, it’s impossible to mask her pride. “I’m a community member,” she says. “For me that never stops.”Down the main street, school kids weave their bikes through a maze of lazy shoppers. Nearby, a hurried waitress breaks from her endless rotation of tables to join the doting crowds of new parents, before disappearing with their plates. But beneath this postcard exterior lies an insidious problem with tentacles throughout the community.Kat stops and gestures to a wall.There, in neatly-stencilled graffiti, is a memorial to a young teenager lost to the darkness.It’s a story that repeats.The report must be structured with the following components:Introduction – i.e. a clear statement of the purpose of the reportBody – i.e. a discussion of your research and findings responding to the listed questions. You may use bulleted or numbered lists if you wish to, and if they help to convey the information in a logical manner, however, the bulk should be paragraphs made up of full sentences.Conclusion – i.e. a brief recap and summary of your key findingsthe report is structured and organised logicallyeach question is addressedthree current interventions are detailed in the reportthe identified interventions target young people who are self-harming or exhibiting suicidal behavioura reference list, as required, has been submitted. (Note: you will not be penalised for referencing errors, however a reference list with resources in alphabetical order and following the APA 7th referencing style must be submitted in your submission if you use sources to support the points you cover).  Psychology Social Science Social Psychology SOC 2503 Share QuestionEmailCopy link Comments (0)