National Suicide Prevention Strategy 2025-2035 launch highlights

Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, The Hon. Emma McBride officially launched the National Suicide Prevention Strategy 2025 - 2035 at an event in Sydney attended by people with lived and living experience of suicide, service providers, government representatives and members of the NSPO Lived Experience Partnership Group and Advisory Board.

Lived Experience Partnership Group (LEPG) Member, Jo Riley spoke of the significance of the Strategy from a lived experience perspective and how the LEPG were involved in its development. Minister McBride discussed the Australian Government's commitment to preventing suicide and the importance of addressing the drivers of distress, while Dr Alan Woodward, Chair of the Advisory Board shared the gravity of the moment, a culmination of years of advocacy, research, consultation that has set out a national direction that will deliver a more comprehensive and compassionate approach to suicide prevention.

Some highlights from speeches are below:

 

Jo Riley, NSPO Lived Experience Partnership Group Member:

"We need to create communities where we can all feel safe, secure, included and supported to get through life’s tougher times if we are to prevent suicide."

"The Strategy also brings clear focus to suicidal despair as a human response to overwhelming suffering which deserves to be met with a compassionate and holistic response. This is an enormous shift from shaming and stigmatising people experiencing crisis."

"I hope that the thousands of people who have shared their personal experiences with suicide over the past years to drive improvements, whether this was at the 2010 Senate Inquiry, inputting to the National Advice in 2020, or being part of surveys, consultations, research, Collaboratives, networks, advisory groups, conferences and conversations, can see meaningful actions in the Strategy that reflect their voice. This work has been years in the making, and you have all contributed."

"Importantly, this Strategy has embedded lived experience as a critical enabler, something which was particularly important to the Lived Experience Partnership Group and our communities to ensure that lived experience is centred in ongoing reform and acts as a compass and as a yardstick of progress."

Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, The Hon. Emma McBride

"The Strategy is an important milestone that charts the course towards a country where we can prevent suicide. A milestone that I know many people here and across the sector have worked towards. That individuals, families and communities have called for over a long time. I want to thank each of you for your contributions, commitment and support for this Strategy." 

"I am hopeful that, as we release the Strategy today, that we may all share a feeling of hope. A hope in our shared purpose to support every person in need. And a hope in this shared commitment towards a future without the devastating loss of so many people."

Dr Alan Woodward, NSPO Advisory Board Chair

"This Strategy extends suicide prevention beyond the hospitals and mental health units...

Contemporary evidence and lived experience informed suicide prevention demonstrates that we can work to prevent suicide much earlier. So, this Strategy is concerned with: 

• reaching people earlier and across all age groups as signs of their distress emerge, and doing so through services outside of health such as children’s services, education, income support, employment, financial counselling and interpersonal violence;  
• addressing the socio/economic/cultural factors in people’s lives that can contribute to suicidal thinking – using all areas of government policy and activity; 
• promoting a community-wide attitude of compassion towards those who are suicidal – so we reinforce the place of social connection and belonging as a suicide prevention action everyone can take. "    

Dr Alex Hains, A/Head, NSPO

"For too long, we have seen an average of 9 precious lives lost to suicide every day in Australia and another 150 people who make an attempt to take their own life. The impacts of the loss of life, suicide attempts and suicidal distress on individuals, families and communities are devastating. By working together and using the best available evidence, there is reason to hope. Reason to believe we can change this." 

"The launch of this Strategy marks a significant moment in suicide prevention reform in Australia. It builds on the efforts of many. In particular, it has been informed by the deep insights of thousands of people with lived and living experience and it has benefited from advancements in data collection and research, and the expertise of those across the suicide prevention sector. "

"This Strategy aims to unify the efforts of governments, communities and service providers to improve suicide prevention outcomes in Australia. And the work we’ve been doing with all the states and territories will lead us to an Australia where anyone living anywhere can benefit from access to a consistently high-quality suicide prevention system."