Supporting risk groups

Suicide risk is highest for those who have expressed suicidal thoughts or made previous suicide attempts. The treatment need for other risk groups must be assessed and opportunities to engage in peer support should be safeguarded. Peer support may be a suitable form of case management. Suicide risk assessment and treatment planning must be made in an equitable way for everyone, also in the context of substance abuse.

Measure 12: Increased support for people at high risk of suicide, and for families bereaved by suicide.

Measure 13: Developing culturally sensitive suicide prevention programmes and emergency support which take into account different cultural and language groups including indigenous people, LGBT and other minority groups, victims of violence and others in critical situations, those affected by negative asylum decisions, prisoners, people living in poverty or under debt collection orders, people with disabilities, people suffering from chronic pain and long-term illness, substance abuse, or people with problematic gaming or gambling issues.

Measure 14: Training local opinion leaders for example in schools and within the defence force, with the purpose of mental health promotion and suicide prevention in these contexts.

Measure 15: Increasing the use of effective suicide prevention interventions within youth work.

Measure 16: Developing online outreach functions in order to reach risk groups online and encourage them to seek help.

Measure 17: Strengthening mental health promotion at work, particularly for work communities in crises or at risk of sudden changes, for example in connection with bankruptcy or redundancies.

Measure 18: Arranging accessible services for older adults. This could be achieved through new socially orientated residential options developing a sense of community, by developing face-to-face support and improving online and telephone-based support.