Centre for Mental Health and Community Wellbeing, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
BMC Public Health. 2024 Aug 26;24(1):2315. doi: 10.1186/s12889-024-19483-w.
Suicide is a worldwide public health problem. In response to this problem, Australia was one of the first countries to develop national suicide prevention policy. Guided by the National Suicide Prevention Office (NSPO), which was established in 2021, suicide prevention in Australia is in a period of reform. The NSPO is driving a nationally consistent and integrated approach to suicide prevention including leading the development of a new National Suicide Prevention Strategy. This article summarises findings from an environmental scan of government-led suicide prevention in Australia, conducted as an input for the development of the new Strategy.
The scan was conducted from August 2022 to January 2023. We searched relevant government websites and Google to identify policy documents and programs and services. We undertook a desktop review of documents and programs/services using coding templates developed to address the objectives of the scan. Qualitative information was extracted in a systematic manner using these templates.
Australia's suicide prevention efforts are significant as demonstrated by activities ranging from policy documents intended to guide and plan activity, the National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement committing the Federal Government and jurisdictions to work together, and the availability of national, state, local area based, and digital services and programs. Suicide prevention approaches in Australia are mostly selective or indicated. There is less emphasis on universal approaches, wellbeing promotion, strengthening protective factors and mitigating the impact of known drivers of distress. In addition, there is limited evidence to demonstrate a whole-of-government or whole-of-system approach is operating in Australia. Findings should be interpreted in the context that suicide prevention in Australia is currently in a period of transition.
Current government emphasis on and investment in suicide prevention activity, together with strong commitment to lived experience and cross sectorial collaboration, are substantial and appropriate. There are also many opportunities to further progress cross-portfolio and cross-jurisdiction suicide prevention and response efforts. This requires urgently adopting a shared understanding of suicide, which includes the diverse drivers of suicidal distress, and improving protective factors and social wellbeing.
自杀是一个全球性的公共卫生问题。针对这一问题，澳大利亚是最早制定国家自杀预防政策的国家之一。在 2021 年成立的国家自杀预防办公室（NSPO）的指导下，澳大利亚的自杀预防工作正处于改革阶段。NSPO 正在推动一种全国一致和综合的自杀预防方法，包括领导制定新的国家自杀预防战略。本文总结了对澳大利亚政府主导的自杀预防工作进行环境扫描的结果，该扫描是为新战略的制定而进行的。
扫描工作于 2022 年 8 月至 2023 年 1 月进行。我们在相关政府网站和谷歌上搜索，以确定政策文件、计划和服务。我们使用为解决扫描目标而制定的编码模板对文件和计划/服务进行桌面审查。使用这些模板系统地提取定性信息。
澳大利亚的自杀预防工作非常重要，活动范围广泛，包括旨在指导和规划活动的政策文件、联邦政府和州政府承诺共同努力的《国家精神健康和自杀预防协议》，以及全国、州、地方和数字服务和计划。澳大利亚的自杀预防方法主要是选择性的或有针对性的。对普遍方法、幸福感促进、加强保护因素和减轻已知困扰驱动因素的影响重视不够。此外，几乎没有证据表明澳大利亚正在实施全政府或全系统的方法。调查结果应在澳大利亚自杀预防工作目前正处于过渡阶段的背景下进行解释。
目前，政府对自杀预防活动的重视和投资，以及对经验和跨部门合作的坚定承诺，是实质性的，也是恰当的。还有许多机会进一步推进跨部门和跨司法管辖区的自杀预防和应对工作。这需要迫切地采用对自杀的共同理解，包括自杀困扰的多种驱动因素，并改善保护因素和社会幸福感。
