In 2015 more young people aged 15–24 years died by suicide than any other means (including transport accidents and accidental poisonings). Over the past 10 years, rather than making in-roads into reducing the number of young lives lost to suicide in Australia, there have instead been small but gradual increases in suicide rates. Twice as many young women aged 15–19 years died by suicide in 2015 than in 2005 and rates have also increased among young people under the age of 14 years.

This has mirrored high rates of self-harm among young people. Recent reports indicate that approximately one in four young women aged 16–17 years have self-harmed in their lifetime and hospitalisations for self-poisoning, again among young women, have spiked in recent years.

In 1995 Australia was one of the first countries in the world to develop a suicide prevention strategy, focused initially on young people. Successive national and state/territory suicide prevention strategies have been released although available evaluations are unable to link these to reductions in suicide or suicide-related behaviours at a national or community level. Further, an analysis of current suicide prevention policies across the country has identified gaps in evidence-based and young person appropriate, accessible and acceptable programs and services. We cannot afford to continue to focus on policies, programs and activities for which limited evidence exists; the cost of these tragic and preventable deaths is too great.

At the time of publishing this report, the Australian Government is reinvigorating its suicide prevention strategy. This will include a significant role for the 31 Primary Health Networks (PHNs) across Australia who will now plan and commission regionally focused suicide prevention responses. It has also committed to the development of an equitable and integrated youth mental health system, a digital gateway into mental health care and a new end-to-end school-based mental health program.