10 September 2025
Each year, September 10th marks World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD), which focuses on bringing global attention on suicide prevention, uniting communities, organisations, and governments with the shared belief that suicides are preventable.
This year, the theme for World Suicide Prevention Day is “Changing the Narrative on Suicide”. This theme calls on us all to challenge harmful myths, reduce stigma, and foster open, compassionate conversations about suicide. It is about shifting from silence and misunderstanding to openness, empathy, and support – creating environments where people feel able to speak up and seek help.
Changing the narrative also means driving systemic change. It calls for suicide prevention and mental health to be a priority in public policy, inclusive of developing and implementing evidence-based strategies, improving access to quality care, and ensuring that those in distress receive the support they need.
This year, the Suicide Prevention Team at EMPHN have been working with Roses in the Ocean on a first of its kind initiative. This initiative, It Takes a Community, is aiming to empower people in the catchment with lived experience of suicide to be a catalyst of change and strengthen the suicide prevention workforce. Suicide affects a community, and it takes a community to help prevent suicide.
The It Takes a Community Initiative has been designed to support individuals with lived experience in the development of professional skills to pursue formal roles within suicide prevention, peer work, or related fields. It has also been designed to upskill the existing allied health and peer workforce by integrating the lived experience of suicide perspective into their practice.
If you are in an emergency, or at immediate risk of harm to yourself or others, please contact emergency services on 000.
Support services that operate 24 hours/7 days a week:
- Lifeline: 13 11 14 www.lifeline.org.au
- Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467 www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au
- Beyond Blue Support Service: 1300 22 4636 www.beyondblue.org.au
- MensLine Australia: 1300 78 99 78 www.mensline.org.au
- Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800 www.kidshelpline.com.au
