Strengthening the evidence base for suicide prevention

Project Details

This program of work addresses major gaps in knowledge about suicide prevention. It is organised around four workstreams. Workstreams 1-3 involve a series of cluster randomised controlled trials, data linkage studies and interrupted time series studies, respectively, that will exponentially increase knowledge about the effectiveness/cost-effectiveness of key interventions.

The interventions include programs designed to encourage boys and men to seek help if they are struggling, psychological therapies for people with mental health problems, follow-up care for people who have self-harmed, social protection policies designed to support people in financial hardship, and restriction of access to paracetamol. These interventions have been chosen because of the high suicide rates among the groups they target; this means that if they are shown to be effective/cost-effective and were to be delivered at scale, the results could be game-changing.

Workstream 4 involves a knowledge translation platform that will ensure that the findings from Workstreams 1-3 will have the maximum impact on policy/practice.

Researchers

Professor Jane Pirkis (Project Lead)
j.pirkis@unimelb.edu.au
+61 3 8344 0647

Funding

NHMRC