The Government has released its latest plan to combat suicide rates. Photo / 123rf
The Government has released its latest plan to combat suicide rates. Photo / 123rf
Warning: This article is about suicide and may be distressing for some readers.
Decreasing a “stubbornly high” suicide rate is the central motivation behind the Government’s latest national suicide prevention plan.
The plan, released today by Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey, details how Health New Zealand and other agenciesacross government seek to address a persistent and inequitable rate of suicide that leads to about 600 deaths per year.
“Last year, 617 people died by suspected suicide,” Doocey said in a statement.
“Behind that number are grieving families, friends, colleagues, and communities.”
All of the initiatives proposed in the plan were tied to deadlines over the next five years. Among the new features of the plan were:
Establishing a suicide prevention community fund for specific populations such as youth and rural by December 31, 2025
Placing peer support workers in eight emergency departments by October 31, 2025
Establishing six regionally led crisis recovery cafes by June 30, 2026, and evaluating them by June 30, 2028
Expanding suicide prevention training by December 31, 2025
Publishing a national competency-based framework for community organisations, schools and maraes by June 30, 2026
Launching a new wellbeing promotion campaign with an initial focus on youth by July 31, 2025
Implementing a cross-government work programme focused on maternal mental health by October 31, 2025
Creating a cross-agency working group to monitor progress of the plan by September 30, 2025
Updating guidance for social workers and carers interacting with people feeling suicidal by June 30, 2026
Increasing support to students experiencing self-harm and after a suicide through new resources in schools by December 31, 2027.
“What sets this plan apart from the last is the actions in the plan are now focused on delivery with clear milestones, completion dates, and importantly, an accountable agency,” Doocey said.
“The actions’ overall aim is to improve access to suicide prevention and postvention supports, grow a workforce that is able to support those at risk of, or affected by suicide, and strengthen our focus on prevention and early intervention.”
Doocey proudly pointed to the plan’s foundation coming from consultation with 402 people and organisations with lived experience in suicide prevention.
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey released the plan today that he says has clear milestones, completion dates and an accountable agency. Photo / Mike Scott
Like most plans of this nature, it recommended a “whole-of-government” approach to ensure factors linked to suicide such as housing, discrimination and violence were addressed.
Despite the coalition Government’s review of the Treaty of Waitangi’s place in legislation and its opposition to what it deemed to be race-based service provision, the plan called for visibility of Te Tiriti in suicide prevention frameworks and prioritising specific Māori-led actions.
The recommendation preceded some sobering statistics, including how the Māori population had a suspected suicide rate almost double that of non-Māori.
It formed part of what the plan described as “inequitably high suicide rates” that also impacted many different population groups.
People aged 20-24 had the highest suspected suicide rate of 19.9 per 100,000 of population. A total of 64% of people from the Rainbow community had thought about suicide in the past 12 months, while 10% had made an attempt.
Men’s rate of suicide is 2.5 times that of women.About a quarter of all suicide deaths in New Zealand between 2007 and 2020 involved acute alcohol use.
Overall, the rate of suspected self-inflicted death was 11.2 per 100,000.
The plan’s authors acknowledged the rate had decreased in recent years but said the “decreases are not significant”.
Quarterly updates on the plan’s progress would be provided to Doocey, while Cabinet would be updated annually.
Aoake te Rā – Free, brief therapeutic support service for those bereaved by suicide. Call 0800 000 053.
• Helpline: Need to talk? Call or text 1737
If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111
Adam Pearse is the Deputy Political Editor and part of the NZ Herald’s Press Gallery team based at Parliament in Wellington. He has worked for NZME since 2018, reporting for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei and the Herald in Auckland.
