Components of the Outcomes Framework
Introduction
In February 2025, the National Suicide Prevention Office (NSPO) and the Australian Government launched the National Suicide Prevention Strategy 2025-2035 (the Strategy), outlining a model of an effective suicide prevention system. The National Suicide Prevention Outcomes Framework (Outcomes Framework) uses the Strategy model to measure progress in suicide prevention.
The Outcomes Framework represents significant advancement in three ways:
- shared goals and outcomes developed in partnership with people with lived experience of suicide and key stakeholders from the suicide prevention sector;
- numbers (quantitative data) and stories (qualitative data) will be combined to provide the essential insights into people’s experiences across the life course; and
- inclusion of preventive measures, support systems, and collective efforts as outlined in the Strategy will be the focus.
The annual suicide statistics highlighting the number of lives lost to suicide are devastating, but only tell part of the story. The Outcomes Framework will provide a better understanding of the experiences of the people whose lives have been impacted by suicide, and for the first time, provide the evidence needed to better support people and prevent suicidal distress from occurring in the first place.
The NSPO will use the Outcomes Framework to monitor suicide prevention efforts nationally. Reports will be published regularly to inform and guide governments, service providers, researchers and communities, ensuring we all work together and continually improve efforts to prevent suicide across Australia.
