SS05 - National Action Plans for Prevention of Suicidal Behaviour. Examples From Four European Countries

The Norwegian National Strategy for Suicide Prevention 2020-2025 - Some Lessons Learned
August, 30 | 08:30 - 10:00

Norway has had several governmentally funded national strategies for suicide prevention, with the first in 1995, which was the second of its kind in the world. The current strategy, and the focus of this presentation, was launched on the World Suicide Prevention Day in 2020 and will last until the end of 2025. Whereas previous strategies, though governmentally funded, have been managed at lower administrative levels, such as the Directorate of Health, the current strategy is managed by altogether eight ministries of the government itself. For the first time, a zero suicide vision for the Norwegian society has been chosen as an aspirational goal of the national strategy. The strategy contains 61 targets in six focus areas with defined responsibilities for each ministry. Acknowledging that many people at risk of suicide are reluctant to seek professional help, among the novel features in this strategy is implementation of large scale media campaigns focussing on help-seeking and public awareness about suicide and opportunities to help people at risk. Media campaigns are conducted regionally as part of multi-level interventions in concert with training of gate-keepers and health care personnel and dissemination of self-help materials. Special attention is paid to preventing suicide contagion through social media, particularly among the young, and revision of media guidelines for the press. Whereas previous strategies managed to substantially reduce the prevalence of fire-arms suicide, at that time the most common suicide method among males, the current strategy focuses on reducing access to suicide methods in road traffic, at bridges, railroads and metro as well as generally limiting the consumption of alcohol and limiting the maximum amount of potentially toxic prescription drugs. Revising clinical guidelines for suicide prevention in mental health care and addiction services, improving the acute medical chain of care, strengthening competency in medical personnel in suicide risk assessment and management and strengthening follow-up of people who have been psychiatrically hospitalized, are further measures implemented. Increasing support for families of people at risk for suicide and for people who have been bereaved by suicide, and increasing the volume of suicide research are also highlighted in the current national suicide preventive strategy. This presentation will examine and discuss lessons learned and evaluation outcomes having emerged so far from the ongoing Norwegian national strategy for suicide prevention and suggest future directions.

Speakers