A qualitative assessment of community needs and views about discussing suicide

Objective: Suicide is a leading cause of death that requires governments, organisations, communities and individuals to be confident in discussing and involved in suicide prevention action. This study reports on outcomes from a qualitative study to understand community members’ perspectives on discussing suicide, including barriers and preferred approaches. Method: Semi-structured focus groups and key informant interviews were conducted with 87 community members from targeted populations in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Focus group and interview transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Community conversations about suicide were infrequent, and most commonly occurred after a suicide attempt or death, rather than to prevent or reduce the risk of suicide. Stigma associated with suicide, a lack of knowledge about how to discuss suicide safely and the limited awareness of supports available, were identified as key barriers to discussing suicide. In addition, there was an inherent need for resources to guide community conversations about suicide to ensure safety and efficacy. Discussion: The findings highlighted the need for resources to assist the community to have proactive discussions about suicide, across the spectrum of suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention. If barriers to discussing suicide can be addressed, this study reveals a strong willingness across communities to be involved in suicide prevention.