The new Suicide Prevention Action Plan - What you need to know
A new Suicide Prevention Action Plan was announced this week.
Photo:
RNZ/Michelle Tiang
Explainer
- New Zealand's suicide rate is "stubbornly high", with more than 600 people dead by suspected suicide in 2023-24.
To tackle the problem the government this week
announced a new Suicide Prevention Action Plan
. Here's what you need to know.
The five-year plan, described as a "whole of government" approach,
includes 21 health-led new actions and 13 cross-agency new actions
.
"Suicide is preventable and we have a duty as a government, and as a country, to do more to ensure all New Zealanders have the access and support they need to heal and go on to live the life they deserve," Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey
said in introducing the plan
Tuesday.
More than 400 people and organisations provided feedback during the public consultation on the draft plan, with what Doocey called a focus on "lived experience".
"We've heard through extensive engagement with communities, families, and people who have been affected by suicide, that they expect the whole-of government approach to suicide prevention and clear actions that can make a tangible difference for communities."
The plan builds on the government's
Suicide Prevention Strategy 2019-2029
and the 2019-2024 prevention action plan.
Doocey said this new plan would focus "on delivery with clear milestones, completion dates, and importantly an accountable agency".
The Ministry of Health's suicide prevention office will lead delivery of the plan with the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission monitoring its delivery. A new overall Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy is also set to be released by the government in October.
The plan specifies four categories of actions:
The plan places an emphasis on "postvention" - support for those who have lost someone to suicide or survive a suicide attempt.
Among the new initiatives are plans to open six "crisis hubs" that will provide options for people experiencing distress, Doocey said.
"What do know sadly with suicide is there are a number that are same-day crisis so we do know that if we can get in early and support someone through that 24 hours we can make a real difference."
The plan outlines a series of suicide prevention initiatives, each with specific deadlines over the next five years.
Among the goals listed are:
"I think (the plan) is doing what it can with the limited resources that Minster Doocey has been able to get to take things forward," Mental Health Foundation chief executive Shaun Robinson told
Midday Report
.
"There are some good things in the plan. The scale of all the changes is relatively small. There's a lot of pilots, there's a lot of limited numbers of new services."
Watch Minister Doocey deliver the plan here:
About $36 million is being put into it.
It will be supported by an existing Vote Health suicide prevention investment of $20 million per year, plus an additional of more than $16 million per year from 2025/26 to improve access to mental health and suicide prevention supports.
In wider mental health efforts, Budget 2025
invested $28 million
over four years to fund the transition from a police-led response to a mental health response to 111 mental distress calls and $50 million in improving the safety, privacy and dignity of mentally distressed people at mental health facilities.
The rate of suspected self-inflicted deaths was 11.2 per 100,000 population for 2023-24,
Health New Zealand figures
show.
"New Zealand continues to face stubbornly high suicide rates," Doocey said in introducing the plan. "Last year, 617 people died by suspected suicide."
In 2023-24 the average rate of suspected suicide decreased by 3.6 percent from the historical average, but it was not considered a statistically significant decrease to the 15-year average.
The figures show some communities were far more affected than others.
Men have approximately 2.5 higher rates of suicide than women, while youth aged 20 to 24 have the highest suspected suicide rate of 19.9 per 100,000, according to Health New Zealand figures.
Māori experience about 1.8 times the suspected suicide rate of non-Maōri.
In the LGBTIQ+ community, 64 percent of young people thought about suicide in the past year while 10 percent had attempted it.
Other communities with higher rates included Pacific youth, rural communities and young people involved with Oranga Tamariki.
Earlier this year a controversial UNICEF report claimed New Zealand's youth suicide rate was three times higher than the international average for high-income countries, but
University of Auckland mental health experts have disputed that figure
.
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey.
Photo:
RNZ / Mark Papalii
Much of the funding is targeted, the Mental Health Foundation's Robinson said.
"Some of the things that are really positive in the plan are additional specific suicide prevention funding targeted to different groups like young people, like rural communities, that I think is a good step," Robinson said.
"We definitely need more services that are specifically addressing the needs of groups that are at risk."
The plan states, "More kaupapa Māori approaches to suicide prevention are also needed as well as ensuring visibility of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and prioritisation of specific Māori-led actions."
"We know one of the biggest barriers to support is our workforce," Doocey said. "The plan includes initiatives that will grow our workforce, such as by expanding suicide prevention training and strengthening existing resources to better equip workforces, communities and families."
Earlier this year data was released showing that
fewer people are getting specialist mental health care despite rising needs
.
Data by Te Hiringa Mahara-Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission
shows 16,000 fewer people were seen by specialist services in the year to June 2024, compared to a peak in the year ended June 2021. Two-thirds of those people were under age 25.
Police have also begun the staged retreat from
responding to mental health call-outs
.
Asked about the pressure that puts on mental health services by
Nine To Noon
, Doocey said the $28 million invested in the Budget will fund the transition.
"The transitioning from a police led 111 mental health crisis response to a mental health-led 111 crisis response is a four- to five-year program."
Robinson said that while the plan shows progress, there is much work to be done on improving mental well-being.
"I think that the whole mental health infrastructure is still struggling significantly. But then, the other things we need to think about is what's happening in our wider community that impacts on people's sense of hope and sense of wellbeing - unemployment, economic problems, increased conflict over things like race, and all of these things do contribute to the issues around suicide.
"In many ways we're taking two steps forward and perhaps one step back in New Zealand. I do think this plan is two steps forward, so on the whole I guess it's good to see some progress."
If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.
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