The meetings, held in Cromwell, Alexandra, Ranfurly, Wanaka and Queenstown, were to highlight the issue and gauge support for Casper (Community Action on Suicide Prevention Education and Research) initiatives.
Several hundred people attended the meetings, which were organised by Julie Duffy and Janice Millis, both of Alexandra, and featured the founder of Casper, Maria Bradshaw, of Auckland. Mrs Duffy spoke about her only child, Craig, dying the day after his 21st birthday.
He had taken his own life, she said, and she and her husband John continued to search for answers.
Mrs Millis, a Central Otago funeral director, said yesterday the response to the series of meetings was ''absolutely amazing''.
''Everyone was there - all the agencies and support services and it all worked beautifully, so anyone who wanted help or to ask questions had the whole range of people there,'' she said.
Peer support services, to help those bereaved by suicide, would be set up under the auspices of Casper.
Mrs Duffy said the meetings were successful and people had appreciated the information available to them, the contact numbers for help and the chance for a chat over a cup of coffee.
''Everyone said they were pleased the meetings had been arranged. We've been heartened by the fact that people do care and it makes you proud to live in a place like this, where people have empathy and care about others.''
The next steps taken needed to be community-driven, she said.
Central Otago sub-area police supervisor Senior Sergeant Ian Kerrisk was impressed by the turnout at the meetings and said police fully supported any initiatives aimed at suicide prevention.
''We've certainly had far too many deaths of this nature in our area.''
''It's nice to see from the meetings that people do care about this, and the feedback from the community is that they're keen to continue to work together on this matter,'' Snr Sgt Kerrisk said.
To get help
Contact:
• Lifeline NZ: 0800 543-354
• Youthline: 0800 376-633
• Citizens Advice Bureau: 0800 367-222
