Addressing suicides in public places that have become known as ‘suicide hotspots’ is critical. We will examine which interventions work at hotspots, how and why they work, whether particular features are key to their success, whether they work best in combination with other interventions, whether they have unintended consequences, and whether they are cost-effective. Our research will culminate in a resource that provide practical guidance about how best to deal with suicide hotspots.
Pragmatic Trial Of A Targeted Digital Intervention For Youth With Suicidal Thoughts And Behaviours Attending Outpatient Care
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,443,572.00
Summary
Existing programs aiming to reduce suicide ideation in youth often fail to impart lasting benefits in helping young people stay well. Our team have developed an online social media-based intervention (called Affinity) that addresses limitations of past programs by allowing 24/7 access to digital therapy, alongside therapist and peer support. This trial will aim to uncover whether Affinity is effective in reducing suicide ideation in young people, relative to a control program.
This fellowship aims to reduce youth suicide via an integrated research program delivered across North West Melbourne. It’s objectives are to: 1) Improve the care provided to young people who present to emergency departments with self-harm 2) Increase capacity of young people and school staff to recognise and respond to risk; and 3) Reduce suicidal behaviour among those at risk through delivering novel online interventions in specialist clinical settings.
Building The Evidence Base For Suicide Prevention: The Victorian Suicide Register
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$189,238.00
Summary
This partnership between the Coroners Court of Victoria, the Lifeline Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the University of Melbourne and Monash University will develop and evaluate a suicide register. The register will contain detailed information on those who die and the circumstances surrounding their deaths. This information is not systematically collected elsewhere, and will help prevent future suicides by informing coroners’ recommendations and strengthening the broader evidence base.
An Individual-level Study Of Suicide Method Substitution Over Time
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$218,122.00
Summary
This study will explore patterns of suicide methods _ e.g., whether people who attempt suicide by hanging make subsequent attempts in the following month, and, if so, whether they use the same or different methods. It will track anonymised patients who have been hospitalised for a suicide attempt in 3 Australian states to determine the extent, method and outcome of any subsequent attempts. The study will inform questions about ïbest betsÍ in terms of restricting access to means of suicide.
The Development Of An Effective Response For The Management Of Suicidality In Primary Care For Patients With Depressive Symptoms
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$98,238.00
Summary
This study aims to improve the identification of and response to suicidality in primary care for people with depressive symptoms. It will utilise diamond collected as part of the diamond study, a mixed methods cohort study on depression in primary care. It will be the first study in suicidality research to investigate the natural history trajectories of suicidal ideation and health service use over time in a primary care cohort with depressive symptoms.
Developing Social Media Based Approaches To Youth Suicide Prevention
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$319,831.00
Summary
This project aims to capitalise on the popularity and accessibility of social media by developing a suite of suicide prevention tools that can be delivered via these types of platform. Examples of interventions include mood tracking and safety-planning tools delivered as mobile phone apps, and personal stories (vox pops) delivered via platforms such as Facebook and/or YouTube. The project will engage young people in every stage of intervention planning, development and evaluation.
Indigenous Network Suicide Intervention Skills Training (INSIST): Can A Community Designed And Delivered Framework Reduce Suicide/self-harm In Indigenous Youth?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$828,215.00
Summary
Queensland has the highest rates of youth suicide in Australia. Indigenous youth suicide rates are reported at twice the rate of Queensland’s total population for 15 to 44 years. Statistical data on urban-rural differences in Australia have only been available since 1986 (ABS, 1994). Although the number of suicides is far greater in urban areas (1,299 suicides aged 10–24 years in metropolitan areas versus 311 in towns with populations less than 4,000), rural demonstrate greater suicide rates per
Improving Mental Health And Social Participation Outcomes In Older Adults With Depression And Anxiety
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$791,581.00
Summary
This study will evaluate a comprehensive treatment program for older adults who are suffering depression and anxiety. We expect that this new treatment program will be more powerful than standard cognitive behavioural therapy. Through this treatment we will increase social participation and quality of life and reduce depression and anxiety in older Australians.
A Developmental Approach To Suicide Prevention And Related Harm Among Australian Youth
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$318,768.00
Summary
Suicide among Australian youth is a significant and increasing problem in Australia, and is currently the leading cause of death among those aged 15 - 44 years. Early prevention is critical to reducing morbidity and mortality associated with suicide, yet typically occurs too late to have long-term impact. In order to prevent suicidal risk, this Fellowship will focus on improving evidence-based childhood prevention, as well as risk identification, to increase the timeliness of intervention.