Mental health advocates want to see the topic of suicide addressed in the same way road deaths are.

Suicide is a major cause of death in Australia, claiming the lives of more than 3,000 people each year.

Chair of Lifeline Australia John Brogden, told Deborah Knight “more people die from suicide than die in car accidents in Australia – almost double”.

“You think of the effort we put into reporting road deaths … we’re forever bringing in new ways to reduce … people from being injured and dying on the roads.

“I say, why can’t we do the same with suicide?”

Mr Brogden, who is a finalist for the 2020 Australian Mental Health Prize, stressed that he knows suicide is “one of the hardest things to talk about”.

“But we don’t talk about that enough.

“I think by talking about it, it gets people activated, maybe it gets people angry, and we can do more.

“But, I say to people, please choose life; there’s always more to live for than there is to die for.”

Click PLAY below to listen to the full interview

The Australian Mental Health Prize was established by UNSW Medicine’s School of Psychology. The winner will be announced on November 5.

If this story raised concerns for you, please contact Lifeline 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636.

Image: Getty