The founder of a leading charity believes suicide rates in Australia will get worse before they get better in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic.

Gus Worland heads up the Gotcha4Life Foundation and fears the mental health of people in this country will decline sharply towards the end of the first quarter of 2021.

Worland recently told Tucker Media’s 2020 Re-Vision podcast he has genuine concerns for people relying on government funding because of COVID-19.

“We have a real problem, we had it before the pandemic, we’ve had it through the pandemic, and I believe when the welfare tap is turned off sometime in March, we’re going to have a real problem as well.”

The Triple M radio personality has been working tirelessly to reverse a poor mental health trend in Australia since setting up the Gotcha4Life Foundation in 2017, but said the stats are alarming.

“We have seven men every single day take their own life, nearly three ladies, and 70 thousand people attempting suicide.

“Every 30 seconds or so someone attempts to take their own life in this country, it’s number one way to die now if you’re an Australian male.”

Worland believes it has never been more important than right now to check in on our mates.

“We need to make sure that we start looking after our friends and family a little bit better.

“We need to be open, honest and vulnerable with them, and we need to sit in some uncomfortable silence to make sure we are being the best possible friend, husband, father that we can be for the people that we love.

“It starts with our own little crew, our own village, our own community.”

If you or someone you care about needs urgent support, please contact:
Lifeline 13 11 14
Beyond Blue 1300 224 636