Suicide is complex and there are many different factors that contribute to someone’s distress. Whilst there is no ‘one size fits all’ strategy for preventing suicide, with the right supports most deaths by suicide are preventable.

The South Australian approach to suicide prevention builds on the work of previous Suicide Prevention Plans and prevention efforts. The approach maintains a strong focus on being person centred, empowering communities and translating evidence into practice.

On 9 December 2021, a key milestone in suicide prevention was reached in South Australia, with the passing of the first Suicide Prevention Act 2021 (the Act) in Australia. This ‘one of kind’ piece of legislation was established to ensure a sustained and statewide focus on reducing suicide and to guide implementation of best practice suicide prevention strategies, including training and education, and to identify priority populations at risk of suicide.

Everyone has a role to play in suicide prevention. Working together is central to the South Australian approach to suicide prevention. The Act provides a framework for collaborative action, outlining:

• The establishment of the Suicide Prevention Council, ensuring council membership included those with a lived experience of suicide, those working to prevent and respond to suicide in the community, those from population groups most affected by suicide, people in key leadership roles across government and a member of parliament.
• The development and management of the Suicide Prevention Plan, ensuring a whole of government approach to suicide prevention with many government departments and agencies (referred to as prescribed state authorities) having responsibility to prepare their own Suicide Prevention Action Plans that outline the strategies and measures they will put into place to prevent suicide.
• How Suicide Prevention Networks will be supported and promoted to implement community led suicide prevention activities that raise awareness of suicide prevention, reduce stigma, and increase community connection, education and linkages to support.

The South Australian approach to suicide prevention is supported by international and national evidence on suicide prevention, and complements National Suicide Prevention activities. Find out more about the National approach via the National Suicide Prevention Office and Fifth National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan.

In the past, suicide prevention was often seen as simply a health matter, however suicide prevention is so much more.

Suicide prevention involves building wellbeing, addressing life’s adversities and strengthening the protective factors already present in people and their communities. It requires whole of government, whole of community responses to address the social, economic, physical, cultural and community environments that can negatively impact wellbeing and as well as the factors within these environments that may lead to distress.

Working together to address risk and build protective factors across the lifespan can reduce and prevent suicide related distress, well before a crisis occurs. Approaches that can make a difference include extending public awareness, building skills and connections within communities, and practical and compassionate supports for individuals.

Find out more about suicide prevention in the South Australian Suicide Prevention Plan.