National action programme for suicide prevention in Sweden

The nine action strategies:

1. Improving the life chances of disadvantaged groups
2. To reduce alcohol consumption in general and in high-risk groups
3. Reducing the availability of highly lethal means of suicide
4. To begin managing suicide as psychological accident
5. To capture more of medical, psychological and psychosocial interventions
6. To disseminate the knowledge of evidence-based practice to reduce suicide
7. To increase awareness of suicidal individuals with personnel and other key people in care.
8. To introduce the event analysis of the Lex Maria-notified suicide.
9. Support for NGOs

The Swedish Institute of Public Health presented guidelines for suicide prevention at the population level. The Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare presented guidelines on prevention of suicide in the individual. NASP:s role was to act as an expert for the FHI and to write the background materials to support the work of SoS.

Background documents for the National Action Programme for Suicide Prevention: publications and supporting reports

These are the documents that formed the basis of the national action programme for suicide prevention in Sweden (in Swedish)

Förslag till nationellt program för suicidprevention

Sammanställning av remisser

Underlagsrapport från NASP

Underlagsrapport från Epidemiologiskt centrum vid Socialstyrelsen

Underlagsrapporter från Statens folkhälsoinstitut

Parliamentary Statement and decisions on the Swedish National Suicide Prevention Program

Background

On 27 April 2005, the Swedish Parliament announced that a National programme for suicide prevention should be developed (bet. 2004/05: SoU11, rskr.2004/05: 218). On 21 July 2005, the then government commissioned the Swedish Institute of Public Health (FHI) and The Swedish National Board of health and Welfare (SoS) to develop proposals for policies and measures needed for a national program for suicide prevention, which were created in consultation with the NASP. This included proposals for population-oriented strategies and actions for state agencies, counties and municipalities.

FHI and SoS created a proposal for a National Program for Suicide Prevention, which included an overall vision and nine strategies. The strategies and respondents' views are reported in: Extract from the Government bill 2007/08: 110 A renewed public health policy (March 2008)

Support Materials (only available in Swedish)

• A renewed public health policy considered by the Social Committee, see Excerpts from the Social Committee report 2007/08: SoU11 May 6, 2008
• Social committee's proposal to the parliament decision, see Excerpts from the Social Committee minutes 22 May 2008.
• Parliamentary Debate - A renewed public health policy, see Extracts from the Parliamentary Protocol 2007/2008: 122 June 4, 2008 § 13 A renewed public health policy.
• The Parliamentary decision on a renewal of public health policy, incl. National suicide prevention program see Extracts from Parliamentary Protocol 2007/08: 123 Thursday, 5 June 2008. 12:00 to 18:41
• Suicide Prevention - Decision taken with acclamation
• Decision: The House approved the committee's proposals
• 9 Suicide prevention strategies