Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, communities and cultures have continued to thrive for more than 65,000 years. This is despite the profound interpersonal and systemic effects of colonisation, discrimination, and intergenerational trauma on individual and collective health and wellbeing.  

An extensive evidence base demonstrates that suicide and self-harm disproportionately impacts Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples compared to non-Indigenous people in Australia. In 2021, suicide accounted for 5.3% of all deaths amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, while the comparable proportion for non-Indigenous Australians was 1.8%. Young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are significantly affected, and experience rates of suicide more than double that of young non-Indigenous Australians.  

In May 2013, the first National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention Strategy (2013 NATSISPS) was launched. In 2016, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention Evaluation Project (ATSISPEP) was undertaken with the aim of providing greater clarity on the work required to achieve a meaningful and sustained reduction in the rates of suicide and self-harm amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.  

Drawing on the past work and led by the seminal work of ATSISPEP and the Thematic Analysis Report for the Submissions to the draft strategy, the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention Strategy 2025-2035 sets a path for all governments to work in genuine partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, organisations and communities to reduce the rates of suicide and self-harm amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people by driving culturally safe and responsive solutions.