10 September 2025

Today, people across the globe will pause for World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD). It is a day that brings into focus the reality that suicide touches far too many lives, it also reminds us that every life matters and every one of us can play a role in suicide prevention.

The theme for WSPD this year continues to be “Changing the Narrative on Suicide.” This is about moving away from silence and the stigma associated with suicide and placing emphasis on openness and compassion. In Tasmania, as in many places, conversations about suicide can still feel difficult. Yet we know that when people talk openly about distress and are met with understanding they are more likely to feel supported and seek the help they need. If we speak and think about suicide differently, we can create the potential to bring about change.

At the core of our work in suicide prevention is hope. Hope is what gives us the strength to believe that pain and suffering can ease and there is a potential for a different future. Without hope things can feel overwhelming and incredibly challenging. Each of us has the capacity to create and share hope.

There are many ways that we can nurture hope for ourselves and for those around us. It can be as simple as checking in on a friend, reminding someone of the qualities or strengths they have when they can’t see them for themselves, or engaging with people in a way that lets them know they’re not alone. Sharing stories of lived and living experience are also powerful ways to help see that recovery is possible. The other important thing that we can all work toward is creating inclusive communities where people feel connected and they belong. These actions can have a significant impact for someone who is struggling, especially when they are repeated.

To mark WSPD this year, the Tasmanian Suicide Prevention Community Network will be inviting people to contribute to the Messages of Hope book.

The Messages of Hope book will travel around the state, visiting TSPCN member organisations and their communities, including Albie House, Lifeline Tasmania, Mental Health Council of Tasmania, LEx Training Hub and Relationships Australia Tasmania, and will be filled with written messages or drawings by people to a stranger, a loved one, or even to themselves. Its journey will finish at the Tasmanian Suicide Prevention Forum in March 2026 in Hobart, where it will be gifted back to the community. It is a simple but powerful way of collecting and sharing hope, empathy and positivity. Together, these messages will create a powerful reminder about the importance of hope and let people know that there are lots of Tasmanians that care about the people around them. The messages are not about offering answers or solutions. It is about the act of reaching out through words, art or reflection to let people know they matter and they’re not alone. Every message becomes part of a collective expression of care. By filling the pages of the book, we are actively changing the narrative around suicide from silence to hope and connection.

The Tasmanian Suicide Prevention Community Network (TSPCN) is a statewide initiative, auspiced by Relationships Australia Tasmania and funded by the Tasmanian Government. The TSPCN brings together individuals and organisations to share experiences and contribute to decision-making on suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention. Established in 2012, the network is guided by the belief that everyone has a role in preventing suicide and that resilient communities willing to speak openly about suicide are better equipped to respond.

On World Suicide Prevention Day, we invite you to join us in this work. Keep an eye out for the Messages of Hope book as it makes its way around the state and share a message. Another way to show your support is by lighting a candle at 8pm on World Suicide Prevention Day and placing it in the window as a quiet and visible act of remembrance, solidarity and hope. Together, through these small acts of care and connection, we nurture hope within the Tasmanian communities we belong to.

If you’d like to learn more about the work of the Tasmanian Suicide Prevention Community Network, or find out how to get involved, visit www.suicidepreventiontas.org.au

Dr Michael Kelly Chair of the TSPCN /CEO Relationships Australia Tasmania and Christina Medhurst Coordinator, Suicide Prevention Relationships Australia Tasmania

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If you or someone you know is experiencing distress, seek help and support from A Tasmanian Lifeline 1800 98 44 34, Lifeline 13 11 14, Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467, or the Lifeline crisis chat service at www.lifeline.org.au/crisis-chat. In an emergency, call Triple Zero 000.

Media Contact: A.Mark Thomas, M&M Communications, 0422 006 732

About Relationships Australia Tasmania

At Relationships Australia Tasmania we provide families, couples, individuals, older people, children and communities with tools and strategies, so that they have healthy, positive lives. We help more than 8000 Tasmanians every year to transform and change their lives through counselling, mediation, dispute resolution, support and training.

Our focus is on:

• healthy relationships, conflict resolution, parenting, cultural issues and mental health
• We offer people the services and support they need, when they need it to assist them when life presents challenges.
• Services are available to all people regardless of cultural background, family structure, economic situation, religious beliefs, gender or sexual orientation.

More information about the services and support we offer can be found on our website www.tas.relationships.com.au