Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, Emma McBride, alongside National Suicide Prevention Office (NSPO) and Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) have launched an Outcomes Map designed to monitor suicide prevention across the country.
And Professor Myfanwy Maple, Director of the UNE-led Manna Institute, is supporting the AIHW in the qualitative component, having designed methods to ensure the stories and experiences of people and communities affected by suicide are included.
“As far as we know, it’s the first time in the world anyone has tried to do this,” Professor Maple said. “The Outcomes Framework and associated Outcomes Map will not only monitor suicide prevention across the community; they will provide all organisations working in the suicide prevention space – from clinical care to after care and postvention – with a means of measuring their impact aligned to the Australian Government’s National Suicide Prevention Strategy.
“Over time, this rich, mixed methods data will provide a better understanding of the diversity of experiences of distress and suicide, where we are seeing reductions in suicide distress – and why. Such depth will better inform how to respond to those in suicidal distress. Ultimately, over the life of the strategy, this will provide evidence for the most effective and coordinated support for individuals and their communities.”
The National Suicide Prevention Strategy was launched in early 2025, followed by the release of the Outcomes Framework late last year. The Outcomes Map launched today will enable the AIHW to provide regular reporting to the Australian community, and inform the NSPO’s reporting to governments, service providers, researchers and communities.
Professor Maple, assisted by UNE post-doctoral researcher Bess Jackson and CQUniversity’s Professor Sarah Wayland, has been collaborating with the AIHW to design ways of capturing the perspectives of those experiencing suicidal distress and the people who care for them. This will include their thoughts on everything from social inclusion and housing to family and domestic violence and financial security, reflecting the Strategy’s whole-of-government and whole-of-community approach.
“The Framework and Map enable the development of a national dataset for what’s happening, what’s working and what’s needed,” Professor Maple said. “All stakeholders can draw from that data to better understand how issues are being addressed and where further attention is required.
“The qualitative work is really important because it provides input for all people and, importantly, ensures those disproportionately impacted by suicide have a voice, including many groups across the community, such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, young people, men and people with complex mental illness, who are often marginalised. We are considering how access to participate in these activities – as well as access to services – is not evenly distributed, with regional communities often left behind. We have individuals from these groups informing the development of the qualitative methods to ensure our methods are inclusive and that the data and subsequent reporting reflect the needs of those most vulnerable to suicide.”
In 2024, 3,037 Australians died by suicide, representing a national age standardised rate of 18.3 per 100,000. This rate rises with the distance from capital cities, with remote parts of Australia experiencing rates of 39 per 100,000 [Australian Institute of Health and Welfare].
The virtual Manna Institute comprises researchers from seven regional universities dedicated to improving mental health and wellbeing in rural, regional and remote Australia. It is directly responding to the mental health crisis by partnering with industry and communities to develop regional mental health workforces and an evidence base to guide policy decisions.
For more information, go to https://www.aihw.gov.au/suicide-self-harm-monitoring/outcomes-framework
