NASP: Organisation and activities

NASP is funded by Region Stockholm and the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs, as well as various research grants from both Swedish and international funders.  

Organisation  

NASP is a collaborative centre that consists of several units, all of which are organised under two main institutional frameworks: Karolinska Institutet (KI) and Stockholm County Health Care Area (SLSO) at Region Stockholm. NASP is also a WHO collaborating centre for research, method development, and education in suicide prevention. 

Mission

Our mission is to reduce suicide and suicide attempts on local, regional and national levels. This is achieved through research, strategic public health work, education, and information dissemination. NASP also contributes to the continuous development and stimulation of knowledge within suicide and suicide prevention. 

Activities

NASP:s activities consist of four main areas and strategies for goal fulfillment  

Research and development  

In an interdisciplinary environment (public health, psychology, psychiatry, molecular biology, and anthropology), we conduct research with the aim of developing innovative suicide prevention methods. We also conduct studies to identify trends, risk factors and vulnerable populations related to suicide. The research that we, and other researchers, conduct is used to guide our activities within strategic public health work, education, and knowledge dissemination.  

Strategic public health work  

NASP conducts epidemiological monitoring of suicide and self-harm incidents at national, regional, and municipal levels to map out relevant trends and risk groups, which can create a foundation for targeted public health interventions. We also conduct analyses and produce reports on request from stakeholders working with suicide prevention. The purpose is to stimulate and support suicide prevention work including knowledge exchange at national and local levels, both for specific risk groups or within cultural and social contexts.  

We support stakeholders who want to work with suicide prevention, by offering consultations on action plans, steering documents and by recommending specific interventions based on scientific evidence.  

On RESPI.se we collect information about different types of population-oriented interventions to reduce suicide and suicidal behaviour. We continuously review the scientific evidence and update information accordingly. Through RESPI, we aim to support the decision-making process regarding evidence-based suicide prevention interventions that can be implemented in accordance with the latest research evidence.  

Information dissemination and knowledge translation  

At NASP, we work with both general and targeted information dissemination with the aim of contributing to an increased awareness of issues related to suicide and suicide prevention. We produce information material, publish reports and fact sheets, organise and participate in seminars and lectures, and disseminate information and knowledge via relevant web platforms.  

Knowledge translation, which is a central part of NASP:s information activities, is the process of compiling scientific knowledge and research and making this information accessible, useful and understandable for practitioners, decision-makers, and the public.  

NASP also provides systematically collected scientific information regarding suicide and suicide prevention measures to various stakeholders, such as governmental, regional, and municipal authorities, decision-makers, media, and the public. 

Education 

We conduct educational activities with the aim of contributing to an engaged society that has adequate resources to work with suicide prevention. NASP conducts several educational activities that target individuals, organisations and society at large. All activities are continuously updated in line with scientific developments and advances. Through education of students, researchers, and other professionals, we strive to reduce the occurrence of suicide by creating a resilient society where a humane perspective prevails.