Research, evaluation and trials

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ On this page

1. The Distress Brief Support trial
2. Suicide prevention ​evaluations
1. ​ Towards Zero Suicides evaluation​
   
2. Sax Institute Rapid Evidence review
3. ​Universal Aftercare evaluation
3. Commonwealth Government evaluation activities

​The Distress Brief Support trial

Distress Brief Support (DBS) is a program that will help to manage and prevent a person's distress before it escalates into a crisis. 

Employees in selected community-oriented workplaces will be trained to recognise and support people in distress. They can then connect them to short-term (2-3 weeks) practical support. ​

The program hopes to empower those in distress by teaching them coping methods and positively supporting help-seeking behaviour. ​ The program was built on learnings from the Scottish Government’s Distress Brief Intervention program​​​.

DBS is being ​​​​trialled later this year in Tamworth and Newcastle under the National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement 2022-2026​​​​ in NSW. It is also being trialled in Queensland, Victoria and South Australia. 

Suicide prevention evaluations

Towards Zero Suicides evaluation​

The Mental Health Branch engaged Taylor Fry and ARTD Consultants in 2020 to evaluate six Towards Zero Suicides (TZS) initiatives over a three-year-period.  Here are the evaluation reports:​

1. Safe Havens
   
2. Suicide Prevention Outreach Teams (SPOT)
3. Zero Suicides in Care (ZSiC)​
4. Community Gatekeeper Training
5. Suicide Bereavement Support
6. ​i.am/Youth Aftercare
   

An overarching report, Evaluation of Suicide Prevention Initiatives, on the combined impacts and outcomes of the TZS initiatives in NSW was also prepared, as well as a Summary Report. 

The six TZS initiatives focus on ways to better support both people affected by suicide, at each different stage, and empower the community to be a safer space for th​ose in or at risk of crisis. 

The TZS evaluation included pro​cess, outcome and economic analysis, at the program wide or individual service level. The reports found that a key success factor has been the delivery of services by people with lived and living experience of suicide (peer workers) and the co-design of service models by the local community. 

The findings from the TZS evaluation reports provide valuable evidence to inform existing service provision, strengthen policy development and future business cases for investment in suicide prevention in NSW.

The Sax Institute Rapid Evidence Review

This is an evidence review into non-clinical interventions and services for individuals with suicide distress or crisis.

In December 2024, The Mental Health Branch engaged the Sax Institute to:

• conduct a rapid evidence review into community-based, non-clinical suicide prevention interventions that have been effective at improving suicide-prevention outcomes for people aged 16 years and over, and
  
• ​ describe the characteristics and common features of these interventions.

The Sax Institute delivered its report, Non-clinical interventions and services for individuals with suicide distress or crisis​, in February 2025.

The findings suggest that a suite of community-based interventions, which include crisis support services, workplace training and digital campaigns could collectively contribute to

• ​addressing suicidal distress, 
• promote mental wellbeing
  
• and encourage help-seeking behaviours in community and non-clinical settings. 

​Most of the interventions were delivered virtually using social media, websites and videos, or through telephone and text crisis lines. Other interventions were delivered face-to face in a community setting, and in a workplace setting.  

Universal Aftercare

The Agency for Clinical Innovation (ACI) Evaluation Team within NSW Health will deliver a state-wide evaluation of ​

• NSW Universal Aftercare services, and 
• the Older People’s Expanded Referral Pathways Trial in Western NSW Local Health District (LHD) and South-Eastern NSW LHD.​
  

ACI has established an Evaluation Advisory Committee to inform the conduct of the NSW evaluation. 

Commonwealth Government evaluation activities

Under the National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement​​ (National Agreement), Commonwealth, state and territory governments agreed to develop nationally consistent evaluation principles through: 

• a National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Evaluation Framew​​o​rk​​​​ (Evaluation Framework) and
  
• Evaluation Sharing Guidelines​​​​ (Sharing Guidelines).
  

These documents were published on the De​partment of Health and Aged Care website in February 2025 and aim to improve the quality and consistency of mental health and suicide prevention evaluations and encourage the sharing of evaluation findings.

NSW Health was involved in the development of these resources through its membership on the Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Senior Officials (MHSPSO) group.​