As part of Life in Mind’s goal to connect Australian suicide prevention services and programs to each other and the community, this week we are highlighting StandBy – Support after Suicide, a suicide prevention program hosted on our portal.
StandBy – Support after Suicide is a United Synergies program, established in 2002 to meet the need for a coordinated community response to suicide.
StandBy is now recognised as Australia’s leading suicide postvention program, dedicated to assisting people and communities impacted by suicide.
The national initiative partners with local organisations and engages their expertise within the community to deliver community support in the most effective and culturally suitable way. This includes delivering free telephone and face-to-face support to anyone impacted by suicide, locally tailored workshops and education programs to communities to increase awareness of suicide and suicide bereavement, to help communities support each other.
United Synergies describe their program as a central point of coordination, connecting people to the various supports they may need through referrals to services, groups and organisations within their local area. Follow up contact is continued for 12 months to provide ongoing support when needed.
A recent independent evaluation of the program found that StandBy’s Support After Suicide service helps to significantly lower the risk of suicidality, mental health concerns, and social isolation following a loss of a loved one.
The research measured the well-being of 545 people who had been bereaved by suicide. It compared those who had received support from StandBy with those who had not and found that Standby clients were:
- Significantly less likely to be at risk of suicidality
- Significantly less likely to experience the grief reaction of a loss of social support
- Significantly less likely to experience feelings of social and overall loneliness
- Significantly less likely to report experiencing mental health concerns
- Significantly less likely to report experiencing a loss of social connections
Learn more about the Standby program and the independent evaluation.
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