New guidelines for involving young people with lived and living experience of suicide in sector research

Orygen has released new guidelines providing practical tips for involving young people with lived and living experience of suicide in research.

Data provided by the Australian Bureau of Statistics for 2021 show that suicide was the leading cause of death for young people aged 15-24. Research that includes young people with lived or living experience of suicide is vital for us to learn how to prevent suicide in this age group. There is an increasing expectation that those with lived and living experience should guide suicide prevention research.

The new Orygen guidelines provide researchers with information about effectively engaging with young people with lived and living experience and conducting research that supports their safe involvement and improved research outcomes.

The guidelines principles were developed with two international expert panels that include researchers and young people with lived and living experience of suicide. A systematic forecasting process using the panel members' collective opinions, known as the Delphi consensus method, was used in this process.

The guidelines include information for both researchers and young people with lived and living experience on:

• Preparing for the involvement of young people in suicide research
• Best practices to support safety and wellbeing
• Evaluation methods for the involvement of young people in the research.

Additionally, the guidelines provide information for young people about:

• How to communicate their experience of suicide safely
• Managing and preventing distress
• The importance of support networks.
  

This project is funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) via the Youth Centre of Research Excellence.