Government targets suicide prevention funding at male suicide
The Federal Government has announced that it will specifically target men in its latest round of suicide prevention funding.
With men accounting for 3 in 4 suicides, the Australian Men’s Health Forum has long advocated for Government resources to be directed at preventing male suicide.
Our research has consistently found that while 3 in 4 suicides are men, up to 4 in 5 clients of taxpayer-funded suicide prevention services are women.
In June this year, we highlighted this issue at a round table event we hosted with Government minister, David Coleman MP.
As Assistant Minister to the Prime Minster for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, Minister Coleman responded to concerns that suicide prevention funding was not being targeted at male suicide, with a commitment to ensure future funding initiatives included a focus on men.
Speaking to our round table gathering of more than 100 men’s health sector representatives in June, Minister Coleman said:
“We've got the $61 million Suicide Prevention Grants Program, which we announced in the budget, a significant focus of that will be men. Three quarters of suicides are men so it's only logical that a suicide prevention grants program should have a significant focus on men.”
In the intervening months, the National Suicide Prevention Leadership and Support Program Grant Opportunity, has been increased from $61 million to $114 million.
This includes a pot of $64.5 million that will be specifically for at risk populations and communities, including men. Other at-risk communities that could benefit from this funding include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, LGBTIQA+ people, culturally and linguistically diverse people, regional, rural and remote communities, veterans, and young people.
Glen Poole, CEO of the Australian Men's Health Forum:
"We strongly welcome the Government's decision to target funding at preventing suicide in men and encourage organisations that specialise in working with men to consider making an application for funding."
Applications for The National Suicide Prevention Leadership and Support Program is now open and applications will close on 28 January 2022.