Suicide prevention requires long-term work
Statistics on suicides have been compiled in Finland since 1751. Suicide mortality has halved since 1990. A turn for the better occurred during the National Suicide Prevention Project (1986–1996). This positive downward trend cannot be expected to continue without specific measures: suicide prevention requires intensification and more new means.
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health published a suicide prevention programme for 2020–2030 as part of the national mental health strategy. Implementation of the measures included in each issue is monitored by the national suicide prevention coordination network using indicators derived from nationwide register-based health care data. A separate plan has been drawn up to prevent suicides among the Sámi.
Nordic plan for preventing suicide among the Sámi people (in Finnish, Saamelaisneuvosto)
Suicide prevention frameworks and good practices
The development projects of the suicide prevention programme have produced frameworks and good practices suitable for practical work. They are free of charge and posted on Innovillage. They are freely available on their own or as applicable to mental health promotion and suicide prevention.
Comprehensive suicide prevention framework (in Finnish, Innokylä)
Online course for suicide prevention
The goal is to increase skills in interacting with people at risk of suicide, identifying the risk of suicide and bringing it up. The online course offers specific course themes for professionals, such as planning the treatment of a self-destructive patient in social and health care services. The online course is open and free of charge for all interested parties. Entry requires registration.
Online course for suicide prevention
Government resolution on mental health promotion
The government resolution describes cross-administrative measures for the promotion of mental health and suicide prevention and the development of multidisciplinary cooperation in social and health care services for 2024–2027. Mental health measures are likely to prevent suicide deaths as well, but they need to be directly accompanied by measures to develop suicide prevention work at grass-root level.
Government Resolution on Mental Health Promotion (Julkaisuarkisto Valto)