In the last financial year in New Zealand, 617 deaths were from suspected suicide, more than double the number who died on our roads in 2024.
When related to the population, the road toll was 5.4 deaths per 100,000 people compared with the rate of suspected self-inflicted deaths at 11.2 per 100,000.
Both are miserable statistics and no comfort to anyone affected.
Nor would the data for 2023-24 showing the average rate of suspected suicide decreased by 3.6% from the historical average for the previous 15 years of data mean much to the bereaved. (It was not considered a statistically significant decrease.)
The announcement of the new strategy for 2025-29 illustrates the complexity of the issue, with its self-described 21 health-led and 13 cross-agency new actions.
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says the overall aim of the actions is to improve access to suicide prevention and postvention supports, grow a workforce able to assist those at risk of or affected by suicide, and strengthen the focus on prevention and early intervention.
The implementation of the plan will be supported by existing spending of $20 million a year and an additional $16m annually.
Mr Doocey recognises there are workforce issues, saying the plan includes initiatives that would grow the workforce, "such as by expanding suicide prevention training and strengthening existing resources to better equip workforces, communities and families".
While such training is no doubt a welcome development, it sounds more likely to better equip existing workers than increase the number of people in the workforce.
Among the actions in the plan are the establishment of a suicide prevention community fund by the end of this year, and six regionally led crisis recovery cafes by June next year. The cafes will provide safe spaces for people in distress, staffed by people with lived experience.
Mr Doocey has talked up the targeted nature of the plan with its actions focused on delivery with clear milestones, completion dates, and an accountable agency. However, there is much which is vague.
On alcohol, the plan acknowledges 26% of suicide deaths between 2007 and 2020 involved acute alcohol use, and that recent New Zealand evidence also "highlights an association between alcohol outlet density and self-harm".
But there is no urgency about addressing that.
There is waffly reference to exploring "opportunities to build the alcohol harm evidence-base to inform system responses and improve tracking of alcohol-related suicides" — by June 2028.
We would be surprised if public health researchers in the alcohol harm field do not have plenty of information which could help already.
A national alcohol screening and brief intervention programme is to be developed and implemented, and there will be spending on initiatives that de-normalise alcohol in the community environment from July this year, whatever that means.
There is also a section in the plan about responsible media reporting — there are restrictions on media around suicide and suspected suicides. One of the outcomes sought is "the media increasingly follow suicide reporting guidelines and there is a reduction in inappropriate reporting instances".
Without more information, it is difficult to understand what problem this is trying to solve. In any case, it ignores the way people share information widely on social media without traditional media outlets’ involvement and any impact that might have on the vulnerable.
Mental Health Foundation chief executive Shaun Robinson has described the plan as encouraging, but on a small scale given the amount of money Mr Doocey had to spend.
He also made the valid point the plan comes at a time of challenging social and economic issues: we need to think more about what is happening that impacts on people’s sense of hope.
