News
Read some of the latest suicide prevention news and research in Australia.
Helping veteran families navigate suicide distress and loss
Posted in Sector news
Stronger We Stand is a free online support program for families and carers of veterans impacted by suicide. It offers practical tools, expert guidance, and peer connection in a safe, understanding space.
Q&A with Dr Timothy Piatkowski: Drug induced suicide deaths in Queensland
Posted in Sector news
Dr Timothy Piatkowski, lecturer at the School of Applied Psychology and Griffith Centre for Mental Health, Griffith University, and Vice President of Queensland Injectors Voice for Advocacy and Action shares his knowledge of drug-induced deaths in regional Australia.
Q&A: National Suicide Prevention Strategy next steps
Posted in Sector news
The National Suicide Prevention Office (NSPO) released the National Suicide Prevention Strategy in February 2025. Dr Alex Hains, Head of NSPO shares how the Strategy will lead the way in suicide prevention action in this Q&A.
Preventing First Nations suicide in LGBTIQ+SB communities
Posted in Sector news
The Queensland Council for LGBTI Health and 2Spirits share insights from the pilot of Yarns Heal, a suicide prevention campaign for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and LGBTIQ+ Sistergirl and Brotherboy community.
Shifting the narrative on male suicide
Posted
This article summarises a workshop facilitated by the National Men’s Lived Experience Network at the Lived Experience of Suicide Summit 2025. The workshop offered participants an opportunity to connect and explore how current practices could be adapted to better support men and prevent male suicide.
New initiative to empower community suicide prevention
Posted
National Hope Week is a new health promotion initiative aimed at raising awareness of suicide prevention. The initiative is led by Lake Macquarie and Newcastle Suicide Prevention Network (LMNSPN) in collaboration with Suicide Prevention Networks across Australia.
Q&A with Dr Hazel Dalton: How knowledge translation aids rural suicide prevention
Posted
Dr Hazel Dalton is a Senior Research Fellow of Rural Public Health (Health Services) at the Rural Health Research Institute based at Charles Sturt University, Orange. In this Q&A, Dr Dalton shares her experience in knowledge translation in suicide prevention research and its importance for rural prevention approaches.
Lived Experience of Suicide Summit reflections
Posted in Sector news
The Lived Experience of Suicide Summit 2025 offered a space for meaningful discussions, allowing participants to challenge perspectives, strengthen collaborations, and form partnerships with people with lived experience of suicide. Roses in the Ocean reflect on the Summit's impact and key moments.
eCliPSE provides digital access to mental health care
Posted in Sector news
A new digital initiative designed to provide immediate, 24/7 access to free, evidence-based clinical treatments for conditions like depression, anxiety, alcohol and drug use, and trauma has been launched by the University of Newcastle and the Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI), with support from Beyond Blue.
Q&A with Dr Nicole Lee: Suicide co-occurring with alcohol and other drug use
Posted in Sector news
Dr Nicole Lee is an Adjunct Professor at the National Drug Research Institute based at Curtin University, CEO of Hello Sunday Morning, CEO of 360Edge and a board member at The Loop Australia. In this Q&A Dr Lee shares insights on mental health conditions and suicide co-occurring with alcohol and other drug use in Australia.
Be Nice to Brain campaign supports alcohol reduction
Posted in Sector news
FARE’s Be Nice to Brain campaign encourages Tasmanians aged 25-44 to reduce or cut out alcohol for better mental health. Launched in November 2024, it provides resources on how alcohol affects mood, sleep, and anxiety, offering practical strategies for change. The campaign addresses an information gap and supports healthier choices.
Q&A: Medicine restrictions for suicide prevention
Posted in Sector news
Jessy Lim is an early career researcher at The University of Sydney's Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use. In this Q&A, Jessy shares her research on toxic medicines and suicide. In this Q&A, Jessy shares her research on toxic medicines and suicide.
Corrections, AOD and suicide
Posted in Sector news
People entering prison are more likely to have a history of self-harm and suicidal thoughts, and an increased risk of suicide. The Alcohol and Drug Foundation share what the evidence says about corrections, AOD and suicide.
Suicide prevention for seniors
Posted in Sector news
In this Q&A, Program Coordinator, Sian Palmieri shares an overview of Anglicare’s Suicide Prevention for Seniors Program and how it contributes to suicide prevention in older adults by upskilling those who support them.
Manna Symposium highlights
Posted in Sector news
Researchers, community leaders and community members gathered to share ideas at the first Manna Symposium, which focused on how collaborative research benefits rural and regional Australia.
New self-harm prevention program for young people
Posted in Sector news
The Black Dog Institute in collaboration with Orygen and the NSW Department of Education are designing and testing a new, multi-strategy self-harm prevention program, addressing critical individual and environmental risk factors at the classroom, school and home level.
‘Tis the season to be asking R U OK?
Posted
R U OK? have launched their holiday campaign, ‘Tis the season to be asking R U OK?', encouraging all Australian’s to check in with each other during the festive season.
Black Dog Institute Suicide Prevention Capacity Building Program
Posted
In this Q&A, Black Dog Institute, Program Manager, Esther Sole shares information about the Suicide Prevention Capacity Building Program and how it can support those working to deliver suicide prevention approaches.
New data on homelessness and suicide
Posted
An analysis by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) highlights higher mortality rates among people accessing homelessness services, with suicide and accidental poisoning as leading causes. This data emphasises the importance of targeted prevention and improved support systems.
New LGBTQA+ state and territory briefing papers
Posted
The Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society has released eight briefing papers on LGBTQA+ mental health and suicidality across Australia, using data from three community surveys. Each paper examines rates of suicidality, mental ill-health, healthcare access, and risk and protective factors at the state or territory level.
Life in Mind eNews special edition, November 2024
Posted in eNews
Read the latest Life in Mind eNews.
Moral injury and suicide
Posted
Dr Nikki Jamieson shares insights on how moral injury contributes to the complexity of suicide for serving and ex-serving defence personnel.
Villy app increases protective factors
Posted
A pilot program testing the effectiveness of Villy, a new app that aims to support the mental health of current and ex-serving Australian Defence Force (ADF) members and their families, is underway in Darwin with national expansion planned in the near future.
Open Arms supports Australian Defence Force veterans through transition
Posted
Transitioning from the Australian Defence Force (ADF) to civilian life can be challenging and impact on mental health and wellbeing. Open Arms offers free and confidential counselling, treatment programs, workshops and self-help tools for Navy, Army and Air Force personnel, veterans and their families to support transition from the ADF to civilian life.
A suicide research framework for the Australian Defence Force
Posted
In partnership with the Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention (AISRAP), the World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Suicide Prevention at Griffith University, and La Trobe University, the Australian Defence Force (ADF) has commenced research activity to determine risk and protective factors for suicidal behaviours in a military setting.
Toolkit for Primary Health Networks supporting veterans
Posted
A free toolkit is available for Primary Health Networks (PHNs) to support Australian Defence Force (ADF) veterans living in their health network region. The toolkit guides PHNs in establishing the needs of veterans residing in their area and practical actions they can take to support the prevention of suicide for ADF veterans.
Free training to support veteran mental health
Posted
Veterans and their families can access free mental health literacy and suicide prevention training through the Mental Health Protect program, launched by Mental Health First Aid International. Anyone in the mental health and suicide prevention sector that works directly with veteran communities is eligible to participate in free Mental Health First Aid and LivingWorks training.
Q&A with Dr Piumee Bandara about women in suicide prevention research
Posted
The recent publication, ‘Women in Suicide Prevention Research’ supports broader discussion about the ways gender roles impact career advancement for women in research. Author Dr Piumee Bandara shares her insights about gender disparities in suicide prevention research leadership.
Project Yarn Circle evaluation highlights promising results
Posted
An evaluation of Project Yarn Circle by researchers from Griffith University’s Australian Institute for Suicide Research (AISRAP) and Prevention and Youth 2 Knowledge (Y2K) has shown that participants had significantly lower suicidal thoughts and higher self-esteem after completion of the program.
Our stories matter: Safely sharing stories of suicide publicly
Posted
New guidance to support people with lived and living experience of suicide to share their stories safely and effectively.
Update on the Embrace Suicide Prevention Pilot (ESPP)
Posted
The Embrace Multicultural Mental Health (the Embrace Project) has been focused on progressing the Embrace Suicide Prevention Pilot (ESPP). The pilot is a phased project aiming to extend the Framework for Mental Health in Multicultural Australia (the Framework) to the suicide prevention sector.
The Lancet series calls for global approach to suicide prevention
Posted
A series of new research papers published in The Lancet Public Health Series highlight the importance of addressing social factors as an upstream approach to suicide prevention.
Consultation open for draft Advice on the National Suicide Prevention Strategy
Posted
The National Suicide Prevention Office (NSPO) has released the draft Advice on the National Suicide Prevention Strategy for public consultation.
Fitzroy Crossing needs assessment released
Posted
A new report has been published sharing the outcomes of a needs assessment in response to the unprecedented flooding that impacted remote town, Fitzroy Crossing and surrounding communities in January 2023.
New suicide prevention training videos
Posted
The Queensland Centre for Mental Health Learning has released a suite of educational videos to improve knowledge and skills of suicide and suicide prevention. The videos were designed for Queensland Hospital and Health Services staff but are open to anyone looking to improve their suicide prevention knowledge and skills.
Book release: Profiles in Hope
Posted
Fifteen Australians tell their stories of surviving suicide and finding the way back to a better life in a new book by John Brogden AM, Profiles in Hope - released on World Suicide Prevention Day, 10 September 2024.
Wear It Purple Day 2024
Posted
Wear It Purple Day is an annual campaign dedicated to showing young LGBTIQA+ people that they are celebrated and respected. This year’s theme, "Your Passion, Your Pride" encourages young people to be open and visible achieving their dreams.
World Suicide Prevention Day 2024
Posted
World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) will be recognised on 10 September 2024. WSPD encourages people working within the mental health and suicide prevention sector, government, services, those with lived and living experience, and community to come together in partnership to combine efforts to prevent suicide deaths globally.
Revised guidelines informing care in emergency departments for suicide-related crisis
Posted
Emergency departments can be an initial point of contact to people experiencing distress and suicide-related crisis. Black Dog Institute have released revised guidelines to guide care within emergency departments (ED) for suicide-related crisis.
Partnerships for Life webinar series
Posted in Research news
The International Association for Suicide Prevention
(IASP) hosts a series of webinars discussing effective interventions for the implementation of suicide prevention strategies and programs.
Findings of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide to be released
Posted
Findings from the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide are soon to be released. Learn about an upcoming webinar sharing insights gained from the Royal Commission; details of Mindframe training supporting safe communications; and findings from a data release on characteristics of ex-serving Australian Defence Force (ADF) members hospitalised for suicidality and intentional self-harm.
National campaign for LGBTIQA+SB suicide prevention
Posted
Switchboard Victoria launches ‘Changing the Landscape’, a campaign to make LGBTIQA+SB suicide prevention a national priority. The statement outlines changes that will positively impact LGBTIQA+SB people and communities
R U OK? Day 2024 theme announced
Posted
R U OK? is gearing up for R U OK? Day announcing the 2024 theme, Ask R U OK? Any Day. The campaign is a national day of action highlighting the importance of meaningful conversations.
News categories
Subscribe to eNews
Keep up to date and sign up to the Life in Mind eNews, sharing some of the latest news and research in suicide prevention.