Suicide prevention
Our tools and resources are designed to support people who are worried about their own suicide risk or the suicide risk of someone else.
Almost half of us (47%) will experience mental health challenges in our lifetime.
Suicide is complex and can be influenced by a combination of factors, such as feelings, thoughts, actions, circumstances, and unwellness. There is rarely a single reason why someone may consider taking their own life. Everyone has a role to play in suicide prevention
Suicide is preventable
In Aotearoa New Zealand, suicide is a major public health issue. Effective suicide prevention approaches combine education and awareness with accessible services and support systems that help people build coping strategies. These approaches should aim to:
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recognise and respond to distress
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address factors associated with suicide
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help empower whānau, workplaces and communities to support each other.
Talking openly, safely and respectfully about suicide is crucial for:
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reducing the stigma around suicide
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encouraging individual, whānau and community suicide prevention approaches
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ensuring people experiencing suicidality can seek support and see a way through
what they are experiencing.
The Mental Health Foundation works alongside a range of other suicide prevention initiatives as part of the Every Life Matters - He Tapu te Oranga o ia Tangata: Suicide Prevention Strategy 2019–2029 and Suicide Prevention Action Plan 2019–2024 for Aotearoa New Zealand
Tools and resources
Our resources and tools support people through tough times, and help individuals, whānau , and communities better understand and respond to mental health challenges together.
Visit the sections below for more information, tips and support.
Related content
Resources
Having suicidal thoughts and finding a way back
For people who are managing their own suicidal thoughts or feelings
Personal safety plan
A helpful tool to keep you safe when you’re experiencing suicidal thoughts or are going through tough times and feel like you can’t cope
Are you worried someone is thinking of suicide?
Advice for families, whānau and friends who are worried about the suicide risk of someone close to them
Don't give up postcard
A postcard to remind you that people care about you
Chur! All good, bro?
Tips on how to kōrero/talk with your friend who is going through a rough patch
Ko wai ahau
A personal safety plan for rangatahi/youth.
Ko wai ahau step poster
A poster that shows the steps involved in using a personal safety plan for rangatahi/young people
Connecting through kōrero
How to talk safely about suicide with rangatahi/young people in your life
Tihei mauri ora: Supporting whānau through suicidal distress
Information for whānau and friends to support someone in crisis or distress
Your guide to planning a safe suicide prevention event
A guide to help you plan and run a safe suicide prevention event
After a suicide postcard
A5 card. Self-care and how to cope in the days and weeks after losing someone to suicide.
Funerals in Aotearoa after a death by suicide (guidance for providers)
For those leading a funeral or hui mate for a person who died by suicide.
Takatāpui: Part of the whānau
A resource for takatāpui - a traditional Māori term meaning ‘intimate companion of the same sex’ - and their whānau
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