A new group to help combat male suicide numbers has launched in a Newcastle first.
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Dads in Distress, a peer support group for fathers going through a relationship breakup, launched for the first time in Newcastle on Tuesday night at the Hunter Workers Union.
The group is set to meet every Tuesday from 7pm to 9pm to provide a safe, non-judgemental and non-clinical place of support for fathers.
Hunter project Manager Rob Hoile said a key issue the group finds is the difficulty men face in reaching out for support.
"Sometimes we find guys turn up to the door and that is as far as they will get that particular week," he said.
While he believes the group is needed everywhere, there was particular demand for it in Newcastle.
"75 per cent of males nationally that suicide have a relationship issue.
"The suicide rate is higher in regional areas and the Hunter area fits that bill because the suicide rate does spike in this area."
"The Hunter region has the highest per capita rates of suicide in the country, and the need for suicide prevention support has never been more important."
- Parents Beyond Breakup CEO Gillian Hunt
The program is run by Parents Beyond Breakup, a national suicide prevention charity focussed on supporting parents through relationship breakdowns and child custody access issues.
They also provide sessions for mothers, grandparents and a national suicide prevention hotline operating six days a week.
Chief Executive Officer of Parents Beyond Breakup Gillian Hunt said the charity hopes to expand the programs already on offer.
"The demand for our services is high, and the only reason we don't run more face to face groups, or a 24/7 helpline is the lack of funding nationally," she said.
"The callers to our helpline are at an all time high, and ideally we would like to see the service expand to 24/7 support for all parents in need.
"Our abiding mission is to keep parents alive and in their kids lives so expanding our services by opening more support groups is a key focus for the organisation."
The group is free for all fathers going through a relationship breakup, and attendance is in the hands of each father with no obligations.
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