Suicide is the leading cause of death among young Australians, accounting for one-third of all deaths in people aged under 25. The rates of suicide in this population are also increasing: in 2015, over 400 young people took their own lives; two and half times the number who died by suicide ten years previously. Many more young people make a suicide attempt, and more still live with suicidal feelings. There is an urgent need to develop and test acceptable and accessible approaches to preventing suicidal behaviours in young people.
In 2017, Lifeline Australia, with Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health and the Victorian Department of Education and Training partnered in an NHMRC funded project that aims to reduce suicide risk, improve risk recognition, and increase helpseeking among young people via an integrated program delivered to secondary school students across north-west Melbourne. In accordance with international best practice, the intervention comprises universal, selective and indicated components. The components are educational workshops for all students (safeTALK), case detection to identify students at risk of suicide, and online cognitive behavioural therapy (Reframe-IT) for those students identified as being at risk.