*** This article has been updated since initial publication ***
Introduction by Croakey: Since our initial publication of the article below calling for the release of the National Suicide Prevention Strategy, the Federal Government today released the Strategy.
In an accompanying statement, Health Minister Mark Butler today said the Strategy’s development was made possible through the leadership of people with lived and living experience of suicide and the support of community organisations, civil society and the broader community.
The Strategy was designed to align with the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention Strategy recently released by Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) in acknowledgement that a reduction in the rate of suicide cannot be achieved without addressing the increasing number of lives lost to suicide within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, he said.
In a statement today, Suicide Prevention Australia said the Strategy’s release “marks an important milestone for people with lived experience of suicide, the suicide prevention sector, and the Australian community”.
“This Strategy reflects years of advocacy, expertise, and lived experience voices calling for a national, coordinated approach to suicide prevention,” said CEO Nieves Murray.
“This Strategy is a national plan to reduce suicide deaths and attempts by ensuring people get the right support before they reach crisis point. It recognises that workplaces, schools, social services, and everyday Australians all have a role to play in reducing distress and supporting those who are struggling.
Murray said the next crucial step is ensuring the Strategy is properly funded and implemented. “A strategy alone won’t save lives — what happens next will determine its success. We need clear investment and action to bring this Strategy to life and ensure the people and communities most at risk get the support they need, when and where they need it,” she said.
The article below was published on 19 February.
Nieves Murray writes:
As Australia approaches a federal election, a critical piece of national policy remains in limbo: the National Suicide Prevention Strategy.
Suicide Prevention Australia, alongside the broader suicide prevention sector, has been calling for its immediate release, urging the Government to act before entering the caretaker period.
The Strategy, which has been developed through extensive consultation and supported by service providers and people with a lived experience of suicide, provides a framework to reduce suicidal distress, improve crisis responses, and ease pressure on emergency departments.
However, the Strategy remains locked up in the bureaucratic process.
The delay in finalising and implementing this Strategy is a failure to prioritise the lives of Australians at risk of suicide. Every day of inaction means more people in distress, more families grieving, and more preventable deaths.
National response is required
Suicide remains one of the leading causes of death in Australia. Each year, over 3,000 Australians die by suicide, and a further 55,000 attempt to take their own lives. Behind these numbers are real people – parents, siblings, colleagues, and friends – whose lives were cut short.
While suicide prevention has seen pockets of investment and policy action over the years, the approach has largely been fragmented. The absence of a nationally coordinated strategy has left suicide prevention efforts disconnected, reactive, and overly reliant on emergency departments.
A well-implemented National Suicide Prevention Strategy would provide the framework to shift the focus from crisis intervention to prevention. The Government has completed consultations and finalised the draft – the only step remaining is its official release and implementation.
The upcoming federal election presents a real risk that this essential Strategy could be lost in translation.
Given that the Strategy has already faced delays – public consultation was due to be finished by June last year but only opened in September – there is legitimate concern that further delays will push suicide prevention efforts even further down the political agenda.
Suicide prevention should never be a casualty of election cycles. Successive governments have failed to implement a dedicated suicide prevention strategy, and it is imperative that this does not happen again.
If the current Government does not release the Strategy now, it risks leaving a critical reform unfinished. This would be a devastating setback for suicide prevention in Australia.
Whole-of-government approach
While the Prime Minister has made some strong commitments to strengthening our health system, it’s a piecemeal approach that does not address suicide risk in our community.
The series, ‘A public health approach to suicide prevention’, published in The Lancet Public Health late last year argues that the narrative around suicide prevention needs to change so that it is seen as more than a mental health issue. It is well established that a range of socio-economic and environmental factors can drive the risk or suicide, and many who attempt suicide do not have a mental illness.
The series highlights that although clinical treatment services are critical for people in a suicidal crisis, upstream measures that address socio-economic and environmental factors must also be included in national suicide prevention strategies in order to prevent people reaching crisis point.
The Strategy acknowledges the importance of addressing the social determinants of suicide, and recommends that all government agencies and officials look at their policies through a suicide prevention lens.
One of the most pressing issues in suicide prevention is the over-reliance on emergency departments to support people in distress. Hospitals play a vital role, but they are not designed to be the frontline response for suicidal crises.
The National Suicide Prevention Strategy takes a whole-of-government approach, ensuring suicide prevention is embedded across health, education, workplaces, and social services.
The Strategy is designed to address the underlying causes of suicide by improving access to early intervention, strengthening community-based supports, and reducing pressure on emergency services. Without it, the cycle of crisis-driven responses will continue, leaving people without the appropriate care they need before they reach breaking point.
Strong sector support
The National Suicide Prevention Strategy has been built on extensive consultation with lived experience advocates, researchers, service providers, and policymakers. It has been informed by national and international best practices, ensuring that the framework aligns with the latest evidence on what works in suicide prevention. It is a good Strategy.
Suicide Prevention Australia has consulted with the suicide prevention sector on the Draft Strategy. From these consultations, it was clear that there is strong overall support from the sector for the Strategy.
The frustration lies with the process. After twenty years of advice and consultation, the suicide prevention sector is fed up and is losing faith in the Government’s ability to finally commit to action instead of cycles of talking.
Beyond the devastating human toll, suicide carries an immense economic burden. The Australian Productivity Commission estimated the total costs (direct, indirect and intangible) associated with suicidal behaviour at $30.5 billion each year.
This includes costs associated with emergency responses, healthcare services, lost productivity, and the ongoing impact on families and communities. Investing in a robust, coordinated suicide prevention strategy is not just a moral imperative — it is a smart economic decision.
Preventing suicide through early intervention, community-based support, and evidence-driven policies reduces hospital admissions, alleviates strain on emergency services, and improves mental health outcomes at a national level. A failure to act now will only compound the long-term costs of suicide on Australian society.
Responsibility to act
Prime Minister Albanese has made some strong commitments to strengthening Australia’s health system through Medicare reforms.
However, without a parallel commitment to suicide prevention, these reforms remain incomplete and pressure from suicidal behaviours remains unchecked on the health system.
Suicide prevention cannot be treated as a secondary concern — it must be recognised as a core component of the nation’s health and wellbeing.
The Government has an opportunity to take decisive action now. The Strategy is ready. The consultation is complete. The sector is unified in its call for its release.
Let’s hope the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has the courage to make it happen. Releasing the National Suicide Prevention Strategy before the election would send a clear message that suicide prevention is a national priority, not an afterthought.
We urge the Government to act immediately and release the Strategy before entering the caretaker period. Anything less is a failure to recognise the urgency of suicide prevention and the responsibility to protect the wellbeing of all Australians.
Previously at Croakey: Governments urged to address suicide prevention in all policies. And the Prime Minister must step up
Services
Lifeline
13 11 14
Lifeline.org.au
Suicide Call Back Service
1300 659 467
Suicidecallbackservice.org.au
Defence Member and Family Helpline
1800 624 608
MensLine Australia
1300 789 978
Mensline.org.au
ReachOut
au.reachout.com
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
13 YARN (13 92 76)
healthinfonet.ecu.edu.au
LGBTIQ+ community
1800 184 527
Qlife.org.au
Kids Helpline
1800 551 800
Kidshelpline.com.au
Head to Health
Headtohealth.gov.au
headspace
1800 650 890
headspace.org.au/
Open Arms
1800 011 046
openarms.gov.au
Culturally and linguistically diverse communities
embracementalhealth.org.au
Beyond Blue
1300 224 636
Beyondblue.org.au
See our archive of articles on prevention
