Suicide prevention and response in Victoria

Content warning

This webpage contains content that some readers may find distressing, including references to suicide. For a list of supports and resources, see the Help seeking section on this page.

Each year we lose too many lives to suicide. It affects people from all ages and backgrounds, but the numbers don’t show the full picture. They don’t include those struggling with suicidal thoughts, those who have survived attempts or the lasting impact on families and friends, including those bereaved by suicide.

There are many factors that can contribute to suicide and suicidal distress, and these can be deeply personal. Some people and groups are affected by suicide more than others and are over-represented in suicide data such as adult and older men. People who experience stigma, racism and discrimination, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and trans and gender diverse people, are also disproportionately impacted. Experiences like childhood trauma, alcohol and other drug harm, and family violence can leave people overwhelmed and distressed. This is compounded when coupled with a lack of access to safe, responsive and culturally appropriate care and other supports.

There are things that we can do as part of our suicide prevention and response efforts to help people recover and lead the life they want. These include building protective factors (such as supporting connections to community, making it easy to ask for help and ensuring access to the right support when it matters most) and minimising contributing factors (such as the impacts of family violence and relationship breakdown).

Suicide prevention and response strategy 2024-34

All Victorians working together to reduce suicide.

The Victorian suicide prevention and response strategy 2024-34 is a 10-year strategy that builds a systems-based, evidence-informed, whole-of-government and community-wide approach to suicide prevention and response. It responds to Recommendation 26 from the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System.

The strategy replaces the Victorian suicide prevention framework 2016–2025. The framework has provided a strong foundation in suicide prevention for Victoria to build on, including evidence of what works in aftercare and the important role local communities play in preventing and responding to suicide.

The strategy has been developed in partnership with people with a lived and living experience of suicide – including people who have survived a suicide attempt, live with suicidal thoughts, care for or support someone who is suicidal, or have lost someone to suicide. It has also been shaped by extensive consultation with clinicians, people who work with people disproportionately impacted by suicide and other experts in the field.

Guided by 8 principles, the strategy aims to reduce the rate of suicide, support those impacted and stop the stigma that surrounds it by working across government, service providers and the community to deliver objectives under 6 priority areas and achieve our vision of: All Victorians working together to reduce suicide.

Achieving the vision of the strategy will require a range of complex and, at times, interconnected activity across departments, agencies, sectors and communities, acknowledging that we all have a role to play in suicide prevention and response. We need action across a range of areas, such as education, emergency services, housing, employment, gambling, justice, and health to drive down suicide rates.

To support successful delivery and implementation, an accountability framework and rolling implementation plans accompany the strategy.

Each implementation plan will outline the specific initiatives (programs, services and policies) that will be delivered over a specific time period. Each initiative will align with the strategy’s priority areas and objectives and will have a lead government department, agency or community partner.

The accountability framework recognises that we all have a role to play in suicide prevention and response. It aims to support, track, promote and assess the progress of the strategy. It supports the strategy’s whole-of-government and community-wide approach. It sets out the responsibilities of government and the community, as well as the ways we will ensure the government and our partners deliver on our joint commitment.

Victoria is determined to lead the nation in addressing and reducing the factors that contribute to suicide while boosting protective factors that can save lives.

Suicide Prevention and Response Office

The Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System’s final report outlined new arrangements to elevate suicide prevention and response across government decision-making and to drive efforts (Recommendation 26).

The Suicide Prevention and Response Office was formally established in July 2022 and is led by Victoria’s first State Suicide Prevention and Response Adviser.

The Office drives systemic and evidence-informed change in collaboration with people with lived and living experience of suicide. It is supported by a governance structure that includes all Victorian Government departments and relevant agencies. It is also guided by an Expert Advisory Committee that includes people with lived and living experience of suicide and other experts including, academics, researchers and representatives from clinical services and sectors/services delivering suicide prevention and response policy and programs.

The Office partners with the Balit Durn Durn Centre of Excellence for Aboriginal Social and Emotional Wellbeing to support Aboriginal-led suicide prevention and response activities. It also works closely with the Commonwealth Government to ensure suicide prevention and response efforts in Victoria are coordinated with, and complement, national approaches.

Suicide prevention and response initiatives

The Royal Commission’s final report recommended a number of suicide prevention and response programs, services and supports.

Find out more:

• Interim recommendation 3
• Recommendation 27
• Recommendation 31

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

The Suicide Prevention and Response Office is committed to working in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to advance self-determination and to embed cultural responses that acknowledge Aboriginal ways of knowing, being and doing.

Advancing Aboriginal self-determination is one of 8 guiding principles that underpin the Victorian suicide prevention and response strategy 2024-34.

Work is underway to co-design an Aboriginal-led approach to suicide prevention and response, led by Aboriginal communities through the Balit Durn Durn Centre of Excellence for Aboriginal Social and Emotional Wellbeing.

The strategy, implementation plans and accountability framework will be subject to review and amendment based on the suicide prevention and response co-design work and community-determined approaches, as well as Victoria’s Treaty negotiation and findings and recommendations made by the Yoorrook Justice Commission.

Lived and living experience

The Suicide Prevention and Response Office acknowledges people with lived and living experience, including everyone who contributed to and continues to contribute to suicide prevention and response work. We deeply appreciate your knowledge and expertise and thank you for partnering with us to achieve system transformation.

Help seeking

If you or a loved one need support, the following services are available:

• If you are in a situation that is harmful or life-threatening, contact emergency services immediately on Triple Zero (000).
• If you are not in immediate danger but you need help, call Nurse-on-Call on 1300 60 60 24.
• For crisis support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit the Lifeline website.
• For support to address distress or thoughts of suicide, call SuicideLine Victoria on 1300 651 251 or visit the SuicideLine website. The Suicide Call Back Service is also available on 1300 659 467.
• For mental health support, call Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636 or visit the Beyond Blue website.
• If you are looking for a mental health service, visit the Better Health Channel website or contact your local GP to find out about your options.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

• For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who need support, call Yarning Safe N Strong on 1800 959 563 or visit the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service website.
• For crisis helpline support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, call 13YARN (13 32 16) or visit 13YARN’s website.
• To speak to an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander suicide postvention advocate, call the Thirrili postvention support line on 1800 805 801 or visit Thirrili’s website.

Children and young people

• For children and young people who need support, call Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800 or visit the Kids Helpline website. Young people can also call headspace on 1800 650 890 or visit the headspace website.
• #chatsafe Orygen - a young person’s guide for communicating safely online about self-harm and suicide.
• Resources for involving young people with lived and living experience of suicide - Orygen

LGBTIQA+

• For LGBTIQA+ people who need support, call Rainbow Door on 1800 729 367, text them on 0480 017 246 or email Rainbow Door support@rainbowdoor.org.au.
• Charlee LGBTIQA+ Suicide Prevention - Switchboard Victoria

Other support services

• For small business owners who need support, call the Partners in Wellbeing Helpline on 1300 375 330, or visit the Partners in Wellbeing website for live chat, enquiries and referrals.
• For people living with or recovering from addiction, call the Self Help Addiction Resource Centre (SHARC) family drug and gambling helpline on 1300 660 068, visit SHARC’s website or contact DirectLine on 1800 888 236.
• For veterans and ex-service people who need support, call Open Arms on 1800 011 046 or visit the Open Arms’ website.