Suicide prevention in the Vietnamese community

The University of Melbourne was commissioned by North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network (NWMPHN) to undertake a targeted suicide prevention initiative for the Vietnamese community in the Melton and Brimbank region, after it was identified as a priority population. 

The aim of the project was to: 

• Build understanding of the experience and prevalence of suicide within the Vietnamese community. 
• Engage with the community to understand the impact of suicide within it and design community-led action. 
• Deliver a targeted and tailored suicide prevention strategy. 
• Evaluate the strategy.  

This activity was part of the Melton and Brimbank Place-Based Suicide Prevention Trials.

Outcomes of the project included: 

• A Vietnamese community mental health profile – providing insight into factors that contribute to suicide rates within the Melton-Brimbank region.  
• A Vietnamese community suicide prevention taskforce. 
• A Vietnamese suicide prevention strategy to reduce the rates of suicide in the community. The strategy focused on community leadership, capacity building and participation. 
• A Vietnamese suicide prevention online training program to build capacity and address the gaps in culturally safe suicide prevention training.