This review was commissioned by the Ministry to help inform its development of the draft New Zealand Suicide Prevention Strategy, which was released April 27 2005 to public consultation.
The Beautrais report concludes that while a wide range of personal, social, family and related factors contribute to the risks of suicidal behaviour, by far the largest factor was related to mental health.
Beautrais states the clear implication of this is that the major focus of suicide prevention efforts should be directed at minimising rates of psychiatric disorders and addressing the risk factors that lead to these disorders.