Maila Upanne, Jari Hakanen, Marie Rautava Finland was the first country to prepare and implement a national programme for suicide prevention. The project was accomplished over ten years' time through comprehensive multisectoral co-operation all over the country. The aims of the national suicide prevention strategy where published in the 1992 document Suicide Can be Prevented. This publication describes the implementation of the project and presents the internal evaluation of the project as well. External Evaluation by an International Peer Group.
Suicide presents a world-wide challenge.
While practical working models are culturally bound and must be developed according to local circumstances, many objectives, issues and actions are the same in all countries. We hope that the Finnish contribution can benefit suicide prevention efforts in other countries.