A five-year plan aiming to tackle New Zealand’s “stubbornly high suicide rates” has been released today.
The plan includes new strategies like peer support roles for mental health patients in emergency departments, and crisis recovery cafés so people don’t have to resort to a hospital and can receive care in the community.
The SMC asked experts to comment.
Jacqui Maguire, Registered Clinical Psychologist, comments:
“New Zealand’s suicide statistics remain a source of national shame. The Government’s new Suicide Prevention Action Plan signals good intent, but without meaningful detail, it is difficult to assess its true impact.
“The most obvious gap in the plan is workforce development. Peer support and coordination roles are valuable, but the plan does not outline the training and retention of psychologists, social workers and mental health nurses who are needed to meet demand. Across both public and NGO services, workforce shortages, not just budget, are a real constraint. If we do not have qualified professionals we cannot deliver the required scale of care.
“Secondly, I believe the plan could be bolder and more detailed. For example,
- Every emergency department should have skilled, trained support not just the 8 regions outlined. Peer support is already being trialled, including in Wellington ED, but suicide risk exists nationwide.
- The alcohol and suicide link is acknowledged, but there is no clear policy action mentioned. For example, will the Plan tackle outlet density or alcohol pricing?
- We need to ensure therapy is accessible to all. The current model excludes many middle-income earners, who fall outside subsidy thresholds and cannot afford private care. Unless you are under 25 and covered by PIKI, access can be incredibly limited. That is neither equitable nor sustainable.
- The plan also speaks to hope, wellbeing and prevention yet makes little reference to the deeper drivers of suicide such as loneliness, housing stress, cultural disconnection and income insecurity. If we want significant suicide reduction, these issues are central.
- While the plan refers to data and information sharing, it does not address the kind of infrastructure needed to enable real-time, coordinated care. Particularly between crisis services and mental health teams. Without this, continuity of care will likely remain fragmented.
“The plan sounds promising on paper. However without a clear picture of who is delivering what, and how services will be integrated, it is hard to see how this plan will drive the scale of change New Zealand urgently needs to meaningfully reduce suicide.”
No conflict of interest declared.
Anthony O’Brien, Associate Professor in Mental Health Nursing, University of Waikato, comments:
“It is encouraging to see this new action plan on suicide. There is some tension between the action areas of the plan, and other areas of policy. Some actions require no funding but have the potential to limit suicide risk.
“For example the role of alcohol is highlighted, but curbs on alcohol advertising are not suggested. There is no plan to act on the role of social media in fueling suicide risk. There is limited recognition in the plan of the increased risk of suicide among people who are not employed, despite the report identifying social determinants contributing to suicide risk.
“It is good to see recognition of how various workforces can respond to suicidal thinking and support for those bereaved by suicide. There could be more recognition of the role of primary health care. It was surprising that the Access and Choice Programme was not included in current health-led suicide prevention supports. Also absent is the role of school nurses who in addition to providing support for students experiencing distress could be mobilised as school-based champions of suicide prevention.
“Given the commitment to measurable outcomes it would have been good to see some recognition of a suicide research strategy.”
No conflict of interest declared.