Key informant perspectives of suicide prevention in Australia

Suicide prevention policy in Australia is in a period of reform. The National Suicide Prevention Office is leading the development of a new National Suicide Prevention Strategy (Strategy). Stakeholder input is a critical element in the development of the new Strategy. This article describes key informant views about government-led suicide prevention efforts in Australia obtained as part of an environmental scan conducted as one input to inform the Strategy development process.

We interviewed 24 key informants in November and December 2022. Key informants were purposively recruited to ensure representation from cross-jurisdiction government departments/agencies, peak bodies and leaders in the suicide prevention sector, people with lived experience of suicide, and suicide prevention researchers. We enquired about successes, challenges, and opportunities. NVivo was used to conduct thematic analysis.

Key themes identified as successes in Australia's suicide prevention efforts included: leadership and funding for programs, services, and research; valuing the collective lived experience voice; moving towards a whole-of-government/system approach; and high community and political suicide (prevention) awareness. Key themes emerging as challenges in the sector were: defining the suicide prevention sector, limitations in the service system, workforce issues, and building the evidence base. Key themes mentioned as opportunities for improving suicide prevention efforts were: leveraging the current unprecedented awareness and desire for collaboration among multiple stakeholder groups; adopting wellness rather than crisis-driven models of care; including lived experience and co-design in all stages and aspects of policy planning, service development, and evaluation; and investing in data, research, and evaluation.

Key informants from across the suicide prevention sector in Australia identified a range of issues for consideration in the development of Australia's new National Suicide Prevention Strategy which are also relevant for suicide prevention policy and program development in other high-income countries. Key issues include the need for concerted efforts to define and build the capacity of the suicide prevention sector, implement and monitor a whole-of-government approach that includes wellness models of care and lived experience, and bolster the evidence base. These efforts require effective leadership and resourcing.