Youth Suicide Spikes - Effective Programs Needed

Youth suicide is the leading cause of death for young Australians, and the drivers are complex. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, suicide accounts for over a third of deaths among people aged 15-24.

Contributing factors include:
•    Rising rates of anxiety and depression
•    Academic pressure and performance expectations
•    Social isolation and the impact of online environments
•    Barriers to accessing timely mental health support, particularly in regional and remote communities
•    Challenges around identity, belonging and uncertainty about the future.

There is growing recognition that many young people reach crisis point without having the tools to manage distress earlier on.

This is why there is increasing emphasis, reflected in government initiatives, on early, school-based prevention. Programs that build coping skills, emotional literacy, and help-seeking behaviours can play a critical role in reducing risk over time.

Dr Hayley Watson is the co-founder and CEO of Open Parachute. She is also an author and Clinical Psychologist and holds a PhD in school bullying interventions, along with four further degrees in the field of mental health. She has been creating and delivering programs for youth and practitioners across Australia, Canada, the US, and the UK for the past 20 years.

Open Parachute is engaged in a collaborative research partnership with Adelaide University, involving a team of academics and four PhD graduate researchers exploring mental health and wellbeing in schools.

Using the Open Parachute program as a case study, the research explores the program’s experiences and influence on students, teachers and school culture including school leadership. Initial findings from student-focused studies indicate reductions in mental health stigma and strengthened mental health and wellbeing related skills among students.

“What makes Open Parachute different is that young people aren’t just learning about wellbeing, they’re hearing it directly from their peers.

“We know that students engage when things feel real. Peer storytelling makes the learning stick in a way traditional programs often don’t,” Dr Watson says.

“This is about prevention, not just crisis response - giving young people tools before they reach breaking point.”

Open Parachute combines evidence-based psychology with authentic peer voice. At its core, the program is built around real young people sharing their own experiences - creating powerful, relatable role modelling that students genuinely connect with.

Rather than being a one-off intervention, it’s a preventative, skills-based approach that helps students build emotional resilience over time. It translates complex mental health concepts into simple, practical tools young people can apply in their everyday lives.

“Importantly, it’s designed to fit within the rhythm of school life - making wellbeing something that is consistently practised, not just talked about.”

Open Parachute is delivered by classroom teachers, supported by structured video lessons featuring young people and expert guidance. Teachers are not expected to be mental health specialists - the program provides clear, accessible facilitation support.

“Teachers don’t need to be mental health experts. They just need the right tools and language to create safe, supportive classrooms.”

Lessons typically run for 30-60 minutes, aligning with standard class periods and making them easy to integrate into wellbeing blocks, pastoral care, or home group.
Schools can implement the program as a term-based or whole-year approach, depending on their timetable and priorities. This flexibility aligns well with National wellbeing frameworks.

Importantly, schools that have implemented the program over multiple years are seeing the strongest outcomes. As it becomes embedded as a whole-school,
long-term approach, there is deeper, more sustained impact on student behaviour, emotional awareness, and overall school culture.

The program was developed in collaboration with psychologists, educators and young people, ensuring it is both clinically grounded and highly engaging.

It draws on established approaches such as:
•    Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
•    Positive psychology
•    Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Key ideas students learn include:
•    How to recognise and regulate/accept emotions
•    How to challenge unhelpful thinking patterns
•    How to build self-worth and a sense of identity
•    Practical coping strategies for stress and setbacks
•    How to support peers and seek help

“A central message is that thoughts and feelings are not fixed, and that young people have agency in how they respond to challenges,” Dr Watson says.

Independent research demonstrates strong, measurable impact across both students and teachers. Schools implementing Open Parachute have reported increased teacher confidence in delivering wellbeing content and facilitating sensitive conversations.

Schools have seen increased student and teacher ability to manage stress and difficult emotions, decreased need for adult intervention in day-to-day classroom challenges, increased connection and social support within schools and more students reporting that they have a safe adult they can turn to.

“These outcomes reflect not just improved wellbeing, but stronger, more connected school communities overall.”

Open Parachute’s reach in Australia has been significantly supported through its partnership with The Sebastian Foundation, which helps remove financial barriers for schools. To date, the Foundation has supported over 240,000 Australian students across more than 340 schools to access the program.

So what should teachers know about suicide prevention? What is their role?

Dr Watson says, “Teachers play a vital early intervention role, but they are not expected to be clinicians.

“What matters most is that teachers notice changes in behaviour, mood or engagement, take concerns seriously, listen without judgement and connect students to appropriate support pathways.”

Evidence shows that a strong sense of connection and belonging at school is a major protective factor against suicide. Teachers contribute to this simply by creating safe, supportive classroom environments where students feel seen and heard.

“When students feel seen, heard and connected at school, that’s one of the strongest protective factors we have.

“We’re seeing real shifts in schools - more connection, more help-seeking, and less reliance on escalation to manage everyday challenges. Wellbeing shouldn’t be a one-off workshop - it should be something students practise consistently, just like any other subject.”