Reducing New Zealand’s suicide rates and providing better support for people who have experienced the suicide of a loved one should be a cross-party and cross-sectoral national priority.
Suicide prevention has suffered from a lack of resources and effective implementation. Stronger and sustained leadership is required, including the establishment of a suicide prevention office.
A comprehensive, well-resourced suicide prevention strategy and implementation plan must be urgently completed.
The strategy should include a suicide prevention target of 20% reduction in suicide rates by 2030.
More investment is required to support bereaved families and whānau.
The processes for investigating deaths by suicide should be reviewed, to make them less adversarial, more streamlined and responsive to the needs of bereaved families and whānau.
