Wesley LifeForce trainer Jan Halliday said the elderly were not always included in conversations around suicide, but it was essential this group was also supported with prevention programs.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics September 2016 figures showed the number of suicides per 100,000 population was highest in men between the ages of 40 and 54 and over the age of 85.

The figures also showed the number of deaths was three times higher in men than women.

Ms Halliday, who delivered the Wesley Mission workshop to about a dozen care workers, teachers, Lifeline counsellors and Border suicide prevention advocates, said the figures showed which age groups were most at risk.

She said middle-aged men were at a higher risk of suicide and said this could be due to a range of factors including being separated and not having access to children, not easily able to share feelings and seek supports and loss of financial independence.

Suicide rates are also higher in these age brackets in rural and remote areas where factors such as isolation, lack of access to services and financial hardship brought about by drought exacerbated risk factors, she explained.

But perhaps one of the more surprising findings was the high rate of suicide in elderly men, with the workshop exploring factors that might contribute to this.

A loss of networks, ailing health, death of a spouse, friends and family combined with reduced mobility and the restriction of independence were all listed as important considerations.

Ms Halliday said the findings indicated the importance of including aged care workers, GPs and practice staff and relationship counsellors in ongoing discussions and suicide prevention programs.

Wesley LifeForce training manager Mary McNamara said the organisation was funded by the federal health department to deliver suicide prevention training programs across Australia.

The Albury session was one of a series of workshops delivered across regional cities with others held at Shepparton and Bendigo.

“The aim of the program is to help people recognise the warning signs and teach them a simple suicide prevention strategy (known as SALT),” Ms McNamara said.

“Often people don’t know what to do when they are worried about a loved one – they don’t know the warning signs, they might have seen them and not recognised them.

“This gives them tools in the tool kit. Sometimes just asking the question can be the most difficult part.”

Ms McNamara said the more open the discussion around suicide could be, the more chance there was of reducing the stigma and getting people to help.