As my term as IASP president comes to an end, I am filled with a deep sense of gratitude, pride, and optimism. The past four years have been a transformative journey at IASP, marked by challenges as well as opportunities and achievements that reaffirmed our shared commitment to IASP’s mission. When I assumed office, we were still reeling from the effects of COVID-19, but the cost of living crisis, the war in Ukraine and the renewed conflict in the Middle East had yet to take hold. And sadly since I took office, the suicide rates in too many countries have started to rise again.
However, IASP continues to strive to make a difference nationally and internationally. Indeed, I have been so impressed by how World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) continues to go from strength to strength. The theme for the first three years of my presidency was ‘Creating Hope through Action’ and it was great to see how so many people were inspired by it. There are so many individuals and organisations who are making such a difference in their communities, and through all of our collective actions, we are providing hope to those who are struggling and to those who are bereaved by suicide. But as World Suicide Prevention Day evolves, so does the theme. And, as you know, the new triennial theme for WSPD 2024-2026, selected through a global consultation process, is ‘Changing the narrative on suicide’. This theme aims to inspire individuals, communities, organisations, and governments to engage in open and honest discussions about suicide and suicidal behaviour. In 2024, the WSPD campaign reached more than 77 million people through various online platforms. A remarkable achievement. We also saw excellent engagement with Cycle Around the Globe this year, where our participants walked, ran, and cycled a phenomenal 517,845 km – surpassing our previous total distance record by nearly double!
Further, this year has been a phenomenal success in terms of the reach of our events and conferences. In February this year, we successfully organised the Australasian Research Workshop in Auckland, New Zealand which was attended by 60 delegates (45 New Zealand and 15 international). Similarly, at the beginning of May, I was delighted to be in Toronto, Canada for the IASP 2024 North American Research Workshop, together with a fantastic line-up of experts and leaders. In June, we held the 11th Asia Pacific Conference in Bangkok, Thailand which attracted 311 delegates from 38 countries. There was such a wide range of topics on suicide prevention showcased across the four days, including presentations on national suicide prevention strategies, responsible media reporting, religiosity and spirituality, First Nations suicide prevention, social inequalities, and much, much more. In November, we also organised the inaugural Pan-American Conference in Minneapolis, USA, which was the final in-person IASP event that I attended as President. It was such an inclusive, diverse and hopeful conference – and the informal feedback has been incredibly positive. The conference brought together 285 delegates from 25 countries, and it aimed to foster solidarity in advancing suicide prevention efforts through collaboration, innovation, and knowledge exchange across the Americas. I expect the Pan-American forum to become a staple of the IASP calendar in the years ahead.
One of our organisational assets that I was excited to begin during my presidency was the IASP podcast series ‘Reach In, Reach Out’, with the first episode aired in August 2022. Our aim with the podcast is to foster a broader understanding of the complexities of suicide, to reduce stigma surrounding the topic, and to spark meaningful conversations. Since its launch, the podcast has covered a range of topics such as lived experience, postvention, domestic violence, workplace suicide prevention, stigma, and decriminalisation of suicide. So far, the 16 podcast episodes have been downloaded more than 5,000 times. If you have yet to listen to the podcast, please give it a listen and subscribe.
In terms of overall organisational growth, when I took over as President I was keen that IASP undertook an organisation-wide evaluation. So, in 2023, working with independent consultants and engaging a wide range of stakeholders, we reflected on recent years’ activities as well as thinking strategically about our future plans and aspirations. The culmination of this process was the launch of our organisational strategy for 2024-2028 which sets a roadmap for our coordinated action in suicide prevention and which will guide our actions over the next five years and beyond. All this reminds me of the incredible journey we have shared over the past four years together and how our collective efforts have strengthened the organisation as well as suicide prevention efforts globally.
Lastly, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to each of you—for your trust, support, and unwavering dedication to our shared mission. Leading this fantastic organisation has been such an incredible honour, and I am humbled by the opportunity to have served alongside such passionate and inspiring individuals. A special word of thanks to my fellow Board members and the fantastic IASP central office staff, led by Wendy Orchard, our Chief Executive, who have supported all of us over the past four years. As I step down, I am absolutely delighted to introduce the new President of IASP: Professor Jo Robinson from Orygen in Melbourne. Huge congratulations! Jo will be known to many of you as she is a longstanding member of IASP, including serving as a Vice President over the past four years. Jo and the newly elected team assume office in January 2025 and they will be brilliant, and I look forward to watching IASP continue to thrive and flourish under their leadership. The future is most certainly bright for IASP and our commitment to our vision of achieving a compassionate world, free of suicide remains strong.
With much gratitude and very best wishes,
