Introduction: Suicide is the leading cause of death of young people in Australia (AIHW, 2024). Experiencing the suicide of a friend or family member is a leading risk for youth suicide, which is particularly prevalent amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people and LGBTQ+ young people. Recent research (Marraccini et al., 2022; Wasserman et al., 2020) points to the importance of understanding school-based risk and protective factors, and building the capabilities of the adults in young people’s lives to support them in reducing suicidal ideation and behaviours.
Objectives: MacKillop Seasons embarked on a national program to support young people bereaved by suicide through building capacity for integrated care in schools and communities, with funding from the Department of Health and Ageing under the National Suicide Prevention Leadership and Support Program. Evaluation research sought to understand how well the initiative was designed and delivered, the experiences of implementation and changes that occurred as a result, and finally, to identify improvements for this national suicide postvention program.
Methods: From 2022-2025, MacKillop delivered a suicide-adapted version of the evidence-based Seasons for Growth program, known as Seasons for Life. In the over 700 schools engaged nationally, the initiative provided training and resources for school personnel to facilitate the small group program with young people, supporting them to navigate grief, loss and change in their lives. In addition, the initiative provided parent capacity-building, facilitator coaching support, and engaged hundreds of people in a Community of Practice, and each region was supported by a local Seasons for Life Coordinator. As part of the project, cultural resources were co-designed to enrich the well-being and belonging of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participants, Keeping Spirit Strong, and these resources were disseminated nationally to enhance access and outcomes for First Nations young people.
Conclusion: Seasons for Life has initiated improved integrated care and postvention support of young people bereaved by suicide in more than 700 schools across Australia. The initiative will share outcomes for policy and practice, including: improved mental health literacy, skills, knowledge and capabilities of adults to support young people’s navigation of suicide bereavement; improved wellbeing of young people participating in the program; improved integration of care through training, capacity building and resourcing of program facilitators in schools and communities and parents/carers; and improved access to, and cultural responsiveness of the initiative for First Nations young people at school.