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Suicide prevention

Suicide prevention

Advice on legislation or legal policy issues contained in this paper is provided for use in parliamentary debate and for related parliamentary purposes. This paper is not professional legal opinion.
e-brief 3/2017 by Lenny Roth

​Every day, eight people die by suicide in Australia, including two people in NSW.  The majority are males. Suicides are the 13th ranked cause of death in Australia, with a higher number of deaths than breast cancer and skin cancer.  For people aged 15 to 44, suicide is the leading cause of death.  Suicides are caused by a “complex interaction of social, economic, personal and situational variables” that “may or may not include mental illness”.  This paper reviews current NSW Government and national policies on suicide prevention. Perhaps the most interesting development is the trial of a “systems based” approach to suicide prevention in selected regions in NSW and Australia.

Lifeline 13 11 14

Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467

Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800

Social and Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Services in Aboriginal Australia

The Parliament of New South Wales acknowledges and respects the traditional lands of all Aboriginal people, and pays respects to all Elders past and present. We acknowledge the Gadigal people as the traditional custodians of the land on which the Parliament of New South Wales stands.