The high proportion of suicide victims who had contact with the mental health service in the year before their death was discussed at a recent Southern District Health Board meeting.
The community and public health committee discussed the board's draft suicide prevention action plan, which members passed unanimously.
It must also be approved by the Ministry of Health.
Board suicide prevention co-ordinator Paul Martin said figures suggested that in one year recently about 80% of southern suicide victims had been in contact with the mental health system in the 12 months before their death.
It was high by international and national standards, and the reason for it was not known.
Mr Martin said the mental health system was not the ''whole solution'' to suicide prevention, which required a range of community measures.
Board member Tuari Potiki said he was concerned that despite years of effort to reduce suicide, rates remained static.
''It just really bothers me that we do all these things that do not seem to be making any difference.''
About 40 people each year take their own life in Otago and Southland.
The plan includes working with mental health services to reduce suicide attempts; investigating the development of a district reference group for suicide prevention; working with employers to reduce suicide risk in their workforce.
