OzHelp Foundation

Suicide Prevention

Suicide is a leading cause of death in Australia and a complex crisis issue impacting individuals, families, workplaces and communities worldwide. Most people who have suicidal thoughts do not want to die – they want their pain to stop. Workplaces can play an active role in reducing suicide risk and connecting people with support

On average,

9 Australians

take their lives each day.

Suicide is the

leading cause of death

for Australians aged 15 to 44.

We believe suicide is preventable.

We can all play a part.

Suicide facts and statistics

  • 3,318 people died by suicide in 2019 (Preliminary Data)
  • Men are at roughly four times more likely to die by suicide than women.
  • Male dominated industries, such as construction, farming and trucking, have high rates of suicide.

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Cause of Death Australia, 2019

How workplaces can help prevent suicide

  • Make suicide prevention and a mentally healthy workplace a strategic priority in the overall wellbeing and support of staff.
  • Provide easily accessible workplace services focused on proactive prevention and early intervention with pathways to intensive intervention or ongoing support when needed.
  • Empower and support employees to grow life skills and resilience, engage in self-care and look out for each other.
  • Increase workplace mental health literacy, positive conversations and connections to overcome barriers and stigma relating to suicide and help seeking.
  • Gain access to data and benchmarking information to track the mental, physical, social and emotional wellbeing of your workplace and compare the wellbeing of your workplace with similar organisations.
  • Understand how mental health and suicide impact your business and your staff and take steps that will lead to healthier, happier, safer and more productive environments.

OzHelp’s role in preventing suicide

Through OzHelp’s tailored and holistic workplace programs, we engage with workplaces across industries to provide practical, evidence-based support options for employers and staff. We focus on high risk and hard to reach industries and community cohorts – reaching people who may otherwise not get the support they need.

 

  • Our programs include an embedded mix of options:
  • Health and wellbeing screening;
  • Training and education workshops;
  • Face-to-face and telephone counselling; and
  • Referral pathways to other professional care.
  • Priority industries and communities include:
  • Blue collar, male dominated industries with high suicide rates;
  • Professions with prevalence of trauma;
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities;
  • Regional, rural and remote communities – including farming and drought affected areas; and
  • Any industries or workplaces at heightened risk of suicide or mental ill health.

 

Contact OzHelp

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