2. Suicide prevention
  3. Strategies and Frameworks

National suicide prevention strategies in Australia

Preventing suicide is an agreed national policy priority. Significant reforms have occurred in Australia in the area of suicide prevention and it is agreed that an all-of-government response is required.

To assist understanding the different layers of national policy, strategy, plans and frameworks, a summary has been provided with links to greater detail. These include:

The Fifth National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan

The Fifth National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan (2017) and corresponding Implementation Plan were endorsed by COAG Health Council on 4 August 2017. It is a cross-jurisdictional plan that builds on the foundation established by previous reform efforts and a broad consultation process. It sets out a national approach for collaborative government effort over the next five years and aligns with the significant mental health reforms occurring in Australia by building on the foundations of the state and territory mental health and suicide prevention plans.

The eight priority areas within the plan that set direction for change and long-term reform are:

  • Achieving integrated regional planning and service delivery
  • Effective suicide prevention
  • Coordinating treatment and supports for people with severe and complex mental illness
  • Improving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health and suicide prevention
  • Improving the physical health of people living with mental illness and reducing early mortality
  • Reducing stigma and discrimination
  • Making safety and quality central to mental health service delivery
  • Ensuring that the enablers of effective system performance and system improvement are in place.

National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan

The National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan was released in 2021, and sets out the Australian Government’s $2.3 billion commitment to support mental health and suicide prevention. The plan responds to the Productivity Commission Inquiry Report into Mental Health (PC Report) and the National Suicide Prevention Adviser’s Final Advice. It supports, in full, in principle, or in part, all 21 recommendations from the PC Report and 8 recommendations from the National Suicide Prevention Adviser’s Final Advice. The majority of these recommendations require collaboration with state and territory governments, and a number will be pursued jointly through the National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement.

The reforms set out in the plan are based on five pillars reflecting key themes emerging from the findings of the PC Report and Final Advice:

  1. Prevention and early intervention
  2. Suicide prevention
  3. Treatment
  4. Supporting the vulnerable
  5. Workforce and governance

The National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement

The National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement is between the Commonwealth of Australia and state and territory governments. This whole of government approach, describes the shared aim to work together to:

  • Improve the mental health of all Australians
  • Reduce the rate of suicide to zero
  • Enhance services in the mental health and suicide prevention system.

The agreement discusses roles and responsibilities, governance, reporting, data and evaluation, financial arrangements, as well as national priorities. These priorities include:

  1. Effectively meeting the needs of priority population groups
  2. Reducing stigma and discrimination
  3. Making safety and quality central to service delivery
  4. Addressing gaps in the system of care
  5. Providing a more effective system-based approach to suicide prevention.
  6. Developing psychosocial support for people not supported by the NDIS.
  7. Strengthening regional planning and commissioning of mental health, suicide prevention and psychosocial services.
  8. Working towards nationally consistent assessment and referral processes.
  9. Building a mental health and suicide prevention workforce that is culturally safe and responsive.

A final review will be provided to all parties by the end of June 2025. It will assess if the agreement has achieved its aims and inform future developments.

Read the Bilateral Agreements between each jurisdiction and the Commonwealth Read the National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement

National Suicide Prevention Strategy for Australia's health system

The National Suicide Prevention Strategy for Australia’s health system: 2020-2023 for Australia’s health system: 2020-2023 provides the platform for Australia's national policy on suicide prevention, with the prevention strategies and frameworks of the state and territory governments aligned with the national framework. Its publication completes Action 4 of the The Fifth National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan.

The strategy supports and furthers the existing efforts of governments, non-government organisations, PHNs, the private sector, research institutes and people with lived experience of suicidal behaviour. Its vision is to create a suicide prevention system where evidence-informed strategies, programs and services are coordinated across all sectors to:

  • Promote resilient, mentally strong individuals and communities
  • Support people at risk
  • Effectively and compassionately care for people experiencing or affected by suicidal behaviour.

The strategy sets out 24 areas of focus across four ‘priority domains’ and three ‘priority foundations’.

Priority domains

Priority foundations

Supporting individuals and communities to seek help and support othersBuilding and supporting a competent, compassionate workforce
Building a system of care to change the trajectory of people in suicidal distressBetter use of data, information and evidence
Enabling recovery through post-crisis aftercare and postventionGovernment leadership that drives structures and partnerships to deliver better outcomes
Community-driven Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander suicide prevention

The strategy furthers existing whole-of-government efforts, which aim to be fully realised in Australia’s next national suicide prevention strategy, proposed and endorsed by the Prime Minister, Premiers and Chief Ministers in 2024.

The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander suicide prevention strategy

The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander suicide prevention strategy focuses on early intervention measures with the aim of building strong communities through community focused and integrated approaches to suicide prevention. The strategy comprises a holistic view of mental, physical, cultural and spiritual health.

The strategy presents six action areas:

  1. Building strengths and capacity in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
  2. Building strengths and resilience in individuals and families
  3. Targeted suicide prevention services.
  4. Coordinating approaches to prevention
  5. Building the evidence base and disseminating information
  6. Standards and quality in suicide prevention.

The action areas of the Strategy reciprocate the principles and frameworks outlined within The National Strategic Framework for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ Mental Health and Social and Emotional Wellbeing 2017-2023. This national framework includes nine guiding principles for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, which in turn align with and complement the priority areas of The Fifth National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan (2017).

Both the National Strategic Framework and Suicide Prevention Strategy are supported by the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan 2013-2023, which provides a long term, evidence based policy framework as part of the Council of Australian Governments’ (COAG) approach to Closing the Gap in Indigenous disadvantage. The plan addresses a range of health priorities including health enablers such as a culturally respectful and non-discriminatory health system, physical and chronic disease, and mental health and social and emotional wellbeing, and is based on a comprehensive holistic approach to health. These documents guide and complement the National Primary Health Care Strategic Framework (2013) to address the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples residing within specific PHNs.

The National LGBTIQ+ Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Strategy

Beyond Urgent: National LGBTIQ+ Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Strategy, developed by LGBTIQ+ Health Australia, outlines effective mental health and suicide prevention strategies for LGBTIQ+ people and communities.

This strategy outlines four goals and actions to improve wellbeing and reduce suicide for LGBTIQ+ people and communities:

  • Preventive action and early intervention to reducing the rate of psychological distress and suicidality (thoughts of suicide) among LGBTIQ+ communities caused by stigma, discrimination and other body, gender and sexuality shaming.
  • Increased access to safe and inclusive mental health care through investment in LGBTIQ+ specialist and inclusive care, including peer support, while strengthening systems to deliver safe and effective mainstream services.
  • Empowerment to improve wellbeing for LGBTIQ+ Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, Sistergirls and Brotherboys, with an onus on all mental health services to be culturally safe and support initiatives that strengthen healing among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
  • Reform to deliver effective responses to LGBTIQ+ mental health and suicidal thoughts through improved governance in collaboration with LGBTIQ+ communities, sustainable resourcing, accurate and timely data, and development of more evidence-based strategies.

The National LGBTIQ+ Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Strategy also contain strategic principles that guide approaches to suicide prevention:

  • Self-determination for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
  • Intersectionality
  • Lived experience
  • Human right
  • Data and evidence
  • Social inclusion
  • Factors across the lifespan
  • Access to services.

The Living is for Everyone Framework

The Living is for Everyone (LIFE) Framework sets an overarching evidence based strategic policy framework for suicide prevention in Australia.

The revised 2007 framework provides support for national action to prevent suicide and promote mental health and resilience across the Australian population. It provides a practical suite of resources and research finding on how to address the complex issues of suicide and suicide prevention.

The framework is a resource designed to lead health and community services professionals, policy, political and academic personnel in suicide prevention strategy and action.

The six action areas of the framework are:

  1. Improving the evidence base and understanding of suicide prevention
  2. Building individual resilience and the capacity for self-help
  3. Improving community strength, resilience and capacity in suicide prevention
  4. Taking a coordinated approach to suicide prevention
  5. Providing targeted suicide prevention activities
  6. Implementing standards and quality in suicide prevention.

National Suicide Prevention Leadership and Support Program

The National Suicide Prevention Leadership and Support Program is a key component of the renewed approach to suicide prevention. The Program facilitates leadership, collaboration and strategic partnerships to build the evidence base and action on suicide prevention initiatives within Australia.

The Australian Government initially granted $43 million in funding for the Program within five activity areas over a three year period until June 2019. In September 2018, the federal government extended funding of the program with an additional $36 million through to 2021.

In May 2021, the Australian Government announced they will invest a further $61.6 million to expand the National Suicide Prevention Leadership and Support Program.

Organisations funded under the Program and updated activity areas include:

Australia’s Long Term National Health Plan

In August 2019 the Australian Government Department of Health released Australia’s Long Term National Health Plan.

The Long Term National Health Plan focuses on Australian healthcare for a 10 year period and includes the 2030 mental health vision. The Plan also includes a new mental health strategy for children under 12 years of age.

The Plan contains four pillars of health care covering primary care, public and private hospital preventative health, and medical research. Mental health care and suicide prevention is a key priority throughout the document.

Read more about Australia’s Long Term National Health Plan

National Mental Health and Wellbeing Pandemic Response Plan

The National Mental Health Commission welcomes the National Cabinet’s commitment to support and respond to the National Mental Health and Wellbeing Pandemic Response Plan.

Australians, including those in the mental health sector, have been agile in responding to the needs exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Improvements during the first two months include the rapid expansion of digital services and a seismic shift to telehealth delivery of mental health services, innovative community based models of care, more agile coordination between primary and acute care, expanded engagement with people with lived experience, and the recognition of the importance of social and associated needs such as housing for those who are homeless. Appropriate systemic and service gains should be retained, and the lessons learned must inform and underpin the ongoing response of Governments. It is imperative that we use this disruptive period in our mental health services as the opportunity to address these challenges to respond to the current pandemic. In Australia’s federated model, this is only possible with the commitment and action of all Australian governments.