Suicide prevention

Suicide disproportionately affects rainbow communities in Aotearoa.

Rainbow people are more likely than their peers to be suicidal or attempt suicide. This increased risk is related to experiences of social exclusion and discrimination.

For the last two decades, New Zealand’s national strategies and programmes to prevent suicide haven’t often acknowledged this, or sought to address population-specific risk and protective factors. Instead, rainbow community organisations and leaders often do this work outside of government and health system structures.

The work of rainbow suicide prevention includes supporting individuals, but it’s also about building a world that is safer for rainbow people, where suicide is a less present option, and where people feel a sense of hope, acceptance and love. This work needs everyone.

We’ve shared some resources below for people working at different levels to prevent rainbow suicide.

For decision makers and policy writers

If you’re developing policies or plans to support suicide prevention, these resources will help you understand the issues and needs for rainbow communities:

• Suicide prevention and the rainbow population: a collective submission on the 2017 draft national strategy for suicide prevention (the final strategy includes some recognition of rainbow communities)

• Our reference page on mental health and addictions includes other context related to mental health services and strategies

• Key local research into rainbow suicide and suicidality includes:

  • the Youth 2000 series and Youth19 (including data on sexual and gender minority high school students)

  • Counting Ourselves (focused on trans and non-binary people aged 14 to 83)

  • the Christchurch Health and Development Study (1, 2) (a longitudinal birth cohort study), and

  • Ngā Rāhui Hau Kura, the Suicide Mortality Review Committee’s 2016 review of rangatahi Māori suicide deaths, which found that issues surrounding sexuality were significant in 7.2% of all deaths by suicide of rangatahi Māori (aged 15–24 years) between 2007 and 2011

  • Honour Project Aotearoa (which surveyed Takatāpui and Māori LGBTQI+ people aged 18 and over). Just over half of participants had had a whānau member or a friend who had thought about self-harm or suicide as a consequence of transphobia, homophobia or discrimination because of their sexual or gender identities

  • Suicidality, self-harm, and their correlates among transgender and cisgender people living in Aotearoa/New Zealand or Australia which described links between discrimination and suicidality for transgender people

• “We hold the kaupapa”: Community-led rainbow suicide prevention in Aotearoa is a 2021 Masters thesis by our Project lead, Moira Clunie, exploring how rainbow communities are leading suicide prevention in New Zealand.

  • Moira’s research blog on rainbow suicide prevention also shares some of their informal writing about rainbow suicide prevention

• Mental health promotion and prevention services for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex populations in New Zealand: a needs assessment report published in 2012 by Te Pou o te Whakaaro Nui, as part of the Ministry of Health’s implementation of the New Zealand Suicide Prevention Action Plan 2008–2012.

• LGBTTI Wellness and Suicide: What do we need to change? was a one-day symposium in 2013 - these are the videos of the four presentations

• Waka Hourua’s evaluation of the Takatāpui 101 project articulates the importance of whānau acceptance for suicide prevention, and how the resource Takatāpui: Part of the Whānau helps to achieve this

• Australian resources include:

  • LGBTIQ+ Health Australia’s MindOut project

  • Beyond Urgent: National LGBTIQ+ Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Strategy

You can also get in touch with us for advice.

For health and social service providers working with rainbow people

• Supporting Aotearoa’s Rainbow People: A Practical Guide for Mental Health Professionals is a guide for anyone who provides mental health support in Aotearoa, including (but not limited to) counsellors, psychologists, psychiatrists, psychotherapists, tohunga (Māori healers), social workers, mental health nurses, and GPs.

• Working therapeutically with LGBTI clients: a practice wisdom resource: reflections from therapists including Aotearoa’s Mani Bruce Mitchell, published by Australia’s LGBTI Health Alliance.

• Suicide prevention in LGBTQA+ young people is a 2022-published best practice guideline for clinical and community service providers in Australia

If you’re thinking about how to improve your service’s responsiveness to rainbow people, our evaluate tool is a great place to start.

For rainbow people and their whānau

If you’re looking for help for yourself or someone you’re connected with, these are places where you can find direct support:

• For immediate support, free call or text 1737 any time to talk with a trained counsellor.

• OutLine provides rainbow-affirming specialist counselling (you can self-refer online) as well as a free nationwide peer support service (free call 0800 OUTLINE (0800 688 5463) or access online chat any evening between 6pm and 9pm to talk to a trained volunteer).

• The Mental Health Foundation’s helplines directory provides a list of other places you can call.

• If you’re looking for support after someone close to you has died by suicide, Aoake te Rā provides brief therapeutic support. Victim Support also offers practical support and advice, and has a range of other suggestions about where to find support.

• Takatāpui: Part of the Whānau was written for whānau to help understand and support takatāpui to be themselves

• The Mental Health Foundation has a lot of information on their website including resources about suicide prevention, advice for people having suicidal thoughts and a personal safety plan template. They can help you find services and supports in your area.