Comparison of national strategies of suicide prevention: National strategies of New Zealand, USA, Ireland, England, Scotland, Australia, and korea analyzed based on the WHO framework

Background: With increasing international concerns on suicide, the United Nations(UN) and the World Health Organization(WHO) have recommended every government should develop and implement a comprehensive national strategy for suicide prevention.

Method: This study analyzed the strategies of New Zealand, the United States, Ireland, England, Scotland, Australia, and Korea. For this purpose, by examining all the governmental documents and data, those national strategies were analyzed based on the framework presented by the WHO.

Results: The strategies were reviewed and analyzed with regard to the potential components of a suicide prevention strategy; (1) clear objectives; (2) relevant risk and protective factors; (3) effective interventions; (4) improving case registration and conducting research; and (5) monitoring and evaluation. National strategies with considering their own societal contexts and solid structural plans showed better effectiveness in reducing suicide rates.

Conclusions: The effectiveness of the WHO framework for suicide prevention was discussed. Recommendations were presented in the levels of organization, content, and effectiveness evaluation for improving the national suicide prevention strategy.