20 February 2025 - Peak body for psychology the Australian Psychological Society (APS) welcomes the release of the National Suicide Prevention Strategy (the Strategy) today, aimed at preventing lives being lost to suicide.
We are pleased to have contributed to the development of the Strategy, the first major deliverable for the National Suicide Prevention Office (NSPO). It brings together first-hand evidence provided by people with lived and living experience of suicide, the latest research, and recommendations from existing inquiries and reports.
The APS response to the Draft Advice on the National Suicide Prevention Strategy draws upon evidence-informed input from our members, many of whom work with people at risk of suicide and those impacted by suicide. We advocate for a holistic, social determinants preventative approach and recommend:
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Psychologists as a critical workforce in suicide prevention
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Genuine co-production with lived experience voices
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Support for a preventative, social determinants approach which recognises intersectionality
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Enhancing the commitment to a lifespan approach
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The importance of place-based initiatives, particularly in rural and remote areas
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Improving real-time data and reporting, research, and evaluation.
The APS confirms the Strategy is a positive step to addressing this important issue, with CEO Dr Zena Burgess acknowledging the crucial role psychologists have in response to suicide.
"Deaths by suicide are preventable. Prevention is central to the ethos of the APS and many of our members are involved in suicide prevention throughout their daily work," she said.
"The ripple effects of suicide are a critical issue of concern for psychologists who have an important role in the response to this issue, including the provision of psychological support to individuals and groups directly affected by suicide, as well as through developing appropriate responses at systemic and organisational levels," Dr Burgess added.
The APS is committed to supporting efforts to prevent suicide in Australia. These efforts are central to the APS mission, values and ethics and involve applying knowledge from many areas of psychological research and practice.
We commend the Government for accepting the contributions, insights, knowledge and advice from those who work with people who experience suicidal distress and the impacts of inequity, to address lives being lost to suicide.
The APS looks forward to collaborating on the development of the National Suicide Prevention Outcomes Framework, which will be vital for measuring the outcomes that matter to people and the progress of actions within the Strategy.
The Strategy, with its three critical domains – Prevention, Support and Critical Enablers, and 106 recommended actions - has been endorsed by the Government.
