Worsening suicide crisis requires urgent national action, say Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peak groups
Friday 14 November 2025
The Commonwealth, State and Territory governments must accelerate their investment in community-led suicide prevention initiatives, say three leading mental health groups, responding to a further increase in suicides of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Data for 2024, released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics*, shows:
Suicides of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have increased to 306 - the highest number ever and an 8% increase on 283 suicides in 2023. This is the third consecutive year of increase.
The suicide rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women has fallen slightly while for men it has risen. Among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who die by suicide, four in five are male.
Western Australia and South Australia had the highest Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander suicide rates. NSW recorded the greatest increase in suicides of Aboriginal people, with the rate doubling in the past decade.
There were 70 suicides of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children between 2021 and 2024, a quarter of whom were aged 14 or younger. Of all deaths of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, 21% were suicides.
The trend in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander suicides contrasts with non-Aboriginal Australians, in whom there has been a slight reduction for both males and females.
The further deterioration means suicide will remain among four of a total 17 outcomes under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap that are deemed “worsening, not on track”, alongside child development, child removals and incarceration rates.
A growing body of evidence shows that suicide prevention programs designed and delivered within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are most effective in promoting social and emotional wellbeing and are essential to reversing the trend, said leaders from three peak groups who joined together to comment on the tragic escalation in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander suicide.
“Communities must be empowered to develop their own suicide prevention solutions that recognise the needs of community members and support their culture and strengths,” said Professor Pat Dudgeon, the Director of the Centre of Best Practice in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention. Community-controlled organisations were well-equipped to respond to the distinct experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, which included intergenerational trauma, grief and loss, and systemic racism, Professor Dudgeon said, while mainstream providers also needed to ensure their services were culturally safe and responsive to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients.
“Across more than 30 communities, our Culture Care Connect program is showing what happens when solutions are designed and led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people,” said Monica Barolits-McCabe, Executive Director of the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO). “These community-governed initiatives are building networks of care, strengthening wellbeing, and proving that when we invest in community-led models, the outcomes are lasting and far-reaching. The evidence is clear, our communities already hold the knowledge, capability, and leadership to turn the tide on suicide and create pathways to hope and healing.”
“The latest data is devastating and reflects a system that continues to fail our people because Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership remains absent from national decision-making,” said Rachel Fishlock, CEO of Gayaa Dhuwi. “The Productivity Commission Review of the National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement has confirmed what communities have been saying for decades: that the current system architecture is not fit for purpose. To turn this crisis around, governments must work with us to embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social and emotional wellbeing as a core pillar of mental health and suicide prevention reform. A dedicated Social and Emotional Wellbeing Schedule within the agreement, governed by the SEWB Policy Partnership, is now critical to hard-wire accountability and ensure that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led frameworks like the Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Declaration are implemented and funded in full. Without this structural reform and long-term investment, we will continue to see our people die at the highest rates in the country."
* The Bureau said improved processes to identify people's cultural background might have contributed to the higher number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander suicides, which may have been under-counted in the past.
Source: Causes of Death, Australia 2024. (Australian Bureau of Statistics, November 2025).
We remind the public and media outlets of the importance of responsible and culturally respectful reporting when it comes to issues affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. This includes adhering to the Good Yarn Guidelines and ensuring that crisis support services are promoted effectively.
24/7 crisis helpline services available to the community include:
13YARN (13 92 76) – a dedicated support line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
Brother to Brother crisis line (1800 435 799) – providing support for men
Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800) – for young people in need of support.
Media References:
Ainslie Walker (CBPATSISP): 08 6488 0517 / Ainslie.Walker@uwa.edu.au
Charles David (NACCHO): 02 5104 8528 / Charles.David@naccho.org.au
Centre of Best Practice in in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention (CBPATSISP)
The CBPATSISP was established in 2017 to develop and share evidence about effective suicide prevention approaches for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities. Building on the foundation of the earlier Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention Evaluation Project (ATSISPEP), the CBPATSISP influences suicide prevention policy, practice and research by promoting access to evidence and resources and through advocacy. The work of the CBPATSISP is centred on the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities to self-determination, and the critical importance of cultural responses to distress alongside clinical approaches.
National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO)
NACCHO designs and delivers evidence-based policies and programs that strengthen the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled sector and enhance the social and emotional wellbeing of our people. Using co-design principles, NACCHO’s mental health initiatives are innovative, community-led, and aligned with the National Agreement on Closing the Gap. Our flagship program, Culture Care Connect, integrates suicide prevention and holistic aftercare through culture, connection, and community empowerment. Operating in more than 30 ACCHOs and employing around 100 local staff, the program supports communities to lead local suicide prevention activities and deliver culturally informed care. By fostering healing and choice, Culture Care Connect is setting a new benchmark for community-driven mental health and wellbeing, aligned with Outcome 14 of the National Agreement — achieving a sustained reduction in suicide towards zero.
Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Australia (GDPSA)
Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Australia is the national peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social and emotional wellbeing, mental health, and suicide prevention. As a community-controlled organisation, it is governed and controlled by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander experts and peak bodies, working to promote collective excellence in mental health care.