NOSP National Strategy to Reduce Suicide and Self-Harm

by | Jul 9, 2026 | strategy

This strategy was launched in May 2026 by the National Office of Suicide Prevention, which is part of the HSE.  It updates previous iterations of the strategy. The aims of this strategy are to reduce suicide to 7 per 100,00 by 2035, and address suicide bereavement.

The document outlines key learnings since the last iteration of the strategy; recognising key groups (key among these from a higher education perspective are those who are neurodivergent, those who are LGBTQI+, those with substance misuse issues, and those who have experienced domestic, sexual and gender-based violence; and identifying risk and protective factors for suicide and self-harm.

The strategy contains five domains:

  • Preventing suicide and self-harm, reducing stigma and addressing the social determinants
    • Activity needed to prevent people reaching crisis points
    • often related to social determinants (e.g. economic decisions and public health responses made by government and humanitarian events such as wars)
    • Promotes a whole-of-government approach
  • Restricting access to means and methods
    • This is the most supported action for suicide prevention
    • Done through policy, regulation and environmental design
  • Implementing effective responses for people in suicidal distress or with experience of self-harm
    • Emphasis on importance of equipping people with the skills & resources to respond effectively to people in distress, in crisis and those vulnerable to suicide or self-harm
  • Ensuring compassionate, coordinated and accessible postvention support
    • Among other actions, a national framework for bereavement support will be developed
  • Establishing evidence, surveillance systems and supporting structures
    • Focus on agencies working together to improve the quality of official suicide data
    • Also seeks to improve data collected on people who self-harm

This strategy will have a national implementation group supported by a lived experience reference group, other specialist sub-groups, and NOSP. There is a reporting system for those who have responsibility for key actions within the strategy.

This strategy is important for AMLÉ because all mental health work conducted by AMLÉ is due to funding from NOSP. You can read the full strategy here.