29 July 2026
A landmark study funded by Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network (EMPHN) and led by the University of Melbourne has, for the first time, established a clear, expert-endorsed framework for how local communities should coordinate their response to suicide, a significant moment for suicide prevention in Australia.
Published as Expert guidance to inform suicide postvention responses: A Delphi study, the research brings together the collective wisdom of 30 of Australia’s most experienced postvention practitioners, researchers and people with lived experience to define best practice for Postvention Protocol Response Groups (PPRGs), the local mechanisms that mobilise services to support communities after a suspected suicide.
On this page:
Why this research matters
Every suicide ripples outwards. Globally, more than 720,000 lives are lost to suicide each year, and in 2023 Australia recorded 3,264 deaths by suicide, a rate of almost 12 per 100,000 people. Each death is estimated to affect between 6 family members and 135 community members, and people bereaved by suicide carry approximately a three-fold higher risk of suicide themselves.
Despite this profound impact, until now there has been little evidence-based guidance on how to coordinate multi-agency, place-based responses across an entire region. PPRGs have been quietly emergi8ng across Victoria and nationally since 2012, when the first was established in response to the Casey-Cardinia youth suicide cluster and where a subsequent coronial inquiry commended the coordinated response. However, until now their effective implementation has not been formally documented.
This study changes that. It delivers 126 expert-endorsed recommendations covering stakeholder management, governance, practice principles, operational activation, data surveillance, preventative capacity, sustainability, and special considerations for rural communities.
A genuinely collaborative effort
The study reflects the strength of cross-sector partnership that EMPHN values most. Co-authors and advisory contributors came from:
- The University of Melbourne (Centre for Mental Health and Community Wellbeing)
- Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network
- Eastern Health Infant, Child and Youth Mental Health Service
- Jesuit Social Services – Support After Suicide (Richmond and Dandenong)
- Monash Health Adult Mental Health Service
- Mildura Base Public Hospital Area Mental Health & Wellbeing Services
The 30-member expert panel comprising of 73% women, 76% with lived experience of suicide or suicide bereavement, included past and present PPRG members, postvention experts, and people who have personally benefited from these responses. Their convergence reflects a powerful truth: good postvention is built with, not just for, communities.
A positive impact for suicide prevention
The recommendations are more than a checklist. They reframe postvention as prevention in action. Endorsed principles include place-based approaches, cross-sector collaboration, cultural safety, responsible communication, centrality of lived experience, and timely, tailored response, all underpinned by sustainable funding models and a commitment to research and evaluation.
Crucially, the guidance highlights how PPRGs can prevent further harm, by monitoring community vulnerabilities, identifying those most at risk, reducing duplication of services, supporting first responders, and curbing suicide contagion through responsible media engagement and social media monitoring.
From research into action
From the Delphi recommendations PPRG Implementation Guide has been developed. It is a practical resource that will help regions across Australia establish new PPRGs, reinvigorate existing ones, and ensure that no community has to face a suicide alone. The Implementation Guide summarises learnings from the Delphi study and adds insights on addressing the challenges related to PPRGs.
The PPRG Implementation Guide includes examples of how to operationalise and translate the consensus recommendations into practice and aims to support decision-making related to PPRG implementation across varying stages: initiation and establishment; ongoing operation; review and refinement/adaptation, and deactivation.
