National Suicide Prevention Trial: Insights and Impact Report

Black Dog Institute has recently released an insight an impact report into the National Suicide Prevention Trial, an initiative launched by the Commonwealth Department of Health in 2016. 

The trial focused on using systems approaches (such as LifeSpan and others) to support suicide prevention efforts in 12 regions across Australia, with the objective of reducing suicide attempts and deaths. For the past four years, these 12 communities have been supported by Black Dog Institute to design and deliver best practice suicide prevention initiatives, tailored to the needs of their communities. 

The report showcases some of the incredible work that has emerged from the trial and demonstrates the importance of long-term funding for a systems approach to suicide prevention.

As part of the report, staff from the 12 trial sites shared their achievements. Comments included: 

• Innovative ways of working, development of a suicide prevention workforce, and the establishment of new services and referral pathways 
• Increased local community capacity, ownership and community connections 
• Lived experience leadership in suicide prevention, postvention, and peer support 
• Empowerment of priority populations to lead culturally appropriate programs that respond to community need  
• Young people have been equipped with new language to discuss suicide, access services, and engage with their peers 
• Improved collaboration and partnerships between suicide prevention stakeholders, and between specialist priority population services and mainstream services.

Trial sites were set up at the following locations across Australia: Brisbane North PHN, Central Queensland, Wide Bay, Sunshine Coast PHN, Country South Australia PHN, Darwin PHN, Kimberley (Western Australia PHA), Midwest (Western Australia PHA), North Coast NSW PHN, North Western Melbourne PHN, Northern Queensland PHN, Perth South (Western Australia PHA), Tasmania PHN and Western NSW PHN.