WORLD Suicide Prevention Day's (10 Sep) theme of 'Creating Hope Through Action' is a reminder that there are steps that can be taken that may provide hope to those who are feeling overwhelmed.
In line with this theme, the National Suicide Prevention Office (NSPO) is currently developing a National Suicide Prevention Strategy which will outline what can be done to reduce the number of suicides and suicide attempts in Australia.
Informed by people with lived and living experience, evidence, and best-practice suicide prevention initiatives, the strategy aims to extend the current efforts, which largely focus on preventing people who are in crisis from taking their own lives, NSPO stated.
It includes efforts that prevent people from reaching the point of suicidal distress in the first place.
Head of the NSPO, Dr Michael Gardner said, "suicide is not just an expression of mental illness, but of the challenges that people deal with every day".
"These are as diverse as financial stress, homelessness, child abuse and neglect, domestic violence, social exclusion, loneliness and addiction," Gardner explained.
"The strategy outlines what can be done to address the factors that lead to suicidal distress.
"It seeks to bolster national wellbeing and ensure that people are not trapped in circumstances that lead to helplessness and hopelessness but have equal opportunity to thrive," he added.
"But it also aims to ensure that people who are struggling get help as early as possible, have access to effective and compassionate care, and receive support that does not end when moments of crisis pass."
Gardner said that preventing suicide is everybody's responsibility and requires significant collective national effort.
"At its heart, this strategy will ask Australians for a generosity of spirit; it will ask that governments, agencies, services, communities, and individuals recognise their role in suicide prevention; and work together to achieve change.
"There is a clear way forward and, while implementing the actions set out in the strategy will take time and commitment, there is no doubt it will save lives," Gardner said. JG
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