Game changer

New trial aiming to save lives

A DATA-driven and needsbased suicide prevention program, which has been labelled a game changer, has been established in Tasmania.

A national suicide prevention trial, which is funded by the Federal Government until June 2019, is targeting 12 sites across the country.

This includes Tasmania, which had a suicide rate of 16 per 100,000 people in 2015 — the second highest state in Australia.

The Black Dog Institute is supporting the trial, with its LifeSpan suicide prevention model to be used to gather information at the trial sites.

It will partner with Primary Health Tasmania.

Data from the trial will assist with providing support and awareness in sectors from the Education Department, private and public health, police and emergency services and businesses.

At present, the trial is evaluating where services should best be targeted, either across

the state or on a more local basis.

LifeSpan director Rachel Green said data-driven suicide prevention was a game changer.

“Previously suicide prevention efforts tended to be community driven and communities don’t have good evidence about what tends to happen,” Ms Green said.

“Then we give them real access to data and where their greatest need in suicide is ... so they can develop of a plan based on reality, not rumour.

“It’s about getting more people to have a stake in the game outside health and also the NGO [non-government] sectors.

“Suicide prevention has sat within just community awareness campaigns or the Health Department.”

Primary Health general manager Mark Broxton said the trial was about looking at collaborative suicide prevention.

“What we want to do is develop a set of approaches that integrates [suicide prevention] services that are already in place [and] map the services,” he said. “We’re looking ... to understand where we may start with the particular target population.

“There may be some things we do statewide and other things we do, more localised.”

Mr Broxton said beyond the trial period there was a view to build something more sustainable.

“The learnings from the trial sites is going to inform future policy and government funding in the future,” he said. If you are in crisis or need support, please contact: Lifeline on 13 11 14 or www.lifeline.org .au; or the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467 or www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au