With U 4 Life

“With U 4 Life” was developed by CRPS Awareness – The Purple Bucket Foundation Inc. to provide suicide prevention training to the Australian Chronic Pain sector and create a National Chronic Pain Suicide Prevention Network. Our Vision is that we can save lives with Awareness, Commitment, and Community Action.

Our goal is to provide recognised official Suicide Prevention Training, without charge, to the volunteers and staff of the Chronic Pain Not-for-Profit Sector.

Chronic pain has been associated with higher rates of suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and deaths by suicide. The prevalence of suicidal ideation in chronic pain patients is three times more than those without chronic pain.

Major depression is the most common mental health condition associated with chronic pain. 30-40% of people with a diagnosed mental health condition also present for treatment for chronic pain. High rates of anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and substance misuse are often present in people living with chronic pain.

Almost a third of Australian adults with severe or very severe pain experience high levels of psychological distress, around three times the rate of those with mild pain and six times the rate of those with no pain.

Most people with chronic pain do not have access to best-practice pain services, which include mental health care. This is typically due to location or cost, with a lack of services in rural and remote areas. Stigma about chronic pain and mental health conditions prevents people from seeking and receiving treatment.

Patient and community beliefs about chronic pain, including stigma, a perceived lack of credibility or empathy, and not being believed, leave people with chronic pain feeling isolated and unable to seek or access good quality pain management – which includes mental health services. Many are reliant on medications as a result, often with harmful effects. Many people are not aware of what treatments are available. We need to develop consumer and health awareness programs that highlight the inter-relationship between mental health and chronic pain.

Even though technology connects us more than ever, social disconnectedness leads to loneliness and isolation, both of which have been known to lead to suicidal ideation.

The present suicide, suicidal ideation, and self-harm statistics linked to chronic pain and disability remain higher than those of the general population.

Our goal is to equip the Chronic Pain Community with the tools required to lower the suicide rate within our community on a national basis. This training is the first step. Step two is form a National Chronic Pain Suicide Prevention Network.

For more information, contact Kim on 0411 147 367 or email: withu4life@tpbf.org.au

Training is available via Zoom, Teams or face-to-face, in some Queensland areas.