Locations and methods of suicide in New Zealand

Suicide prevention activity in New Zealand is guided by the framework set out in the New Zealand Suicide Prevention Strategy 2006-2016 and the New Zealand Suicide Prevention Action Plan 2008-2012. Goal 4 of the Strategy – Reduce access to the means of suicide – supports the development of policies, strategies and regulations to reduce access to, and the lethality of, the means of suicide. This analysis was commissioned to provide sound evidence to ensure the activities of this Goal are appropriately targeted. The study aims were to:

1. identify changes in patterns of locations using data from 1997-1998 and 2005-2006;
2. report on emerging methods that may have been noted anecdotally but which are not discernable in the current ICD reporting system;
3. contribute to prevention policy and programme development in respect of restriction of access to locations and means.