Austrian Best Practice on Suicide Prevention (SUPRA)

Sucide Prevention Austria (SUPRA) – original good practice from the PUBLIC HEALTH Best Practice Portal

The other good practice, parts of which are sought to be implemented within the ImpleMENTAL JA, is the so-called SUPRA, Austrian Suicide Prevention Practice.

It is the Austrian national suicide prevention program that includes all levels of prevention – universal, selective and indicated prevention. SUPRA’s main objectives include supporting people at risk, limiting the availability of suicide funds, raising suicide awareness and developing media support for suicide prevention, integrating suicide prevention programs into other health promotion programs, and supporting suicide research.

SUPRA consists of several elements, and the working groups of the Member States will decide on which elements to implement, in accordance with the results of the situational analysis and needs assessment, and their own priorities.

This example of good practice is based on 6 pillars, i.e., it consists of 6 components:

– Support and treatment of persons at high risk, in accordance with their needs;

– Coordinated and organized suicide prevention;

– Restriction of access to means of suicide with the aim of making access as difficult as possible;

– Ensuring that awareness and knowledge of suicidality and about coping with psychosocial crises are widespread among the general population;

– Integration of suicide prevention into existing health promotion activities and addiction and violence prevention measures;

– Ensuring the quality of suicide prevention based on scientific expertise and evidence.

The Work Package 6 (WP6) is in charge of the transfer and pilot implementation of selected elements of SUPRA. The aim of this WP is to support the improvement of knowledge and quality of suicide prevention services in the participating countries.

You can find out more about this best practice on the PUBLIC HEALTH Best Practice Portal.