The tragic death of former stock broker, Rene Rivkin has put suicide back on the public agenda and it doesn't look like it's going to go away in a hurry with recent research showing it's becoming increasingly common in Australia...with country areas the worst hit... 

Feeling a little down? Maybe it's just one of those days or maybe those feelings of despondency have been hanging around for a while now and just don't seem to be going away...

One in five Australians suffer from depression, and it seems most of these people live in regional areas, where the suicide rate is the highest and incidences of depression and anxiety-related conditions are on the increase...

But it seems our elderly residents are most at risk...with suicide rates higher amongst older people in the country than in the city.

Professor Philip Mitchell is the Head of the School of Psychiatry at the University of NSW, he has been doing some research into this exact issue and he says there are various reasons why older people are more likely to take their own lives,

"Suicide amongst the elderly is an issue throughout Australia, especially for males. Physical incapacity and illness are major factors that affect people as they get older. Isolation is also an issue in remote regional areas, and people in the bush have a lot more ready access to means of suicide such as firearms, than people in city areas."

Professor Mitchell says as people get older their loved ones often get sick or die, or they have to battle with illness and incapacity themselves. This kind of thing takes a huge toll on people.

Morale in country towns can also be quite low, especially in times of drought and with infrastructure the way it is at the moment, most young people leave to find work elsewhere. These factors could also help explain why the rate is so high.

Isolation in country areas is also a major concern according to Professor Mitchell,

"Human beings need social contact. This is a major issue amongst our older population, as their friends and partners die, so goes their support networks. Also these days children don't live nearby as they have had to leave the small home town to earn a living elsewhere. So a lot of elderly people are left without family or friends and are desperately lonely as a result."

There also still exists a negative stigma associated with depression in many rural communities, where it is seen as weak to admit that you can't cope or are finding things hard. It's particularly difficult for men to admit that they need help, and when they do the services just aren't available to them.

It's often hard to tell when you have clinical depression as opposed to just "feeling down"...But Professor Mitchell says there are clear differences,

"Depression lasts longer. You're likely to feel down for no more than a few days in a row but depression can last for weeks and even months. People with depression lack motivation for everyday tasks, they no longer want to undertake the activities they used too and have thoughts of suicide for the first time"

If you are one of these people then Professor Mitchell says the first port of call should be your local GP who can offer you counselling or anti-depressants. Some people may not need to take medication straight away, and may just need to talk through some issues. Whatever your situation, if you think you've got depression, seek help before it's too late.