They want to help more people understand that suicide can be prevented and how to do so

Researchers at Jönköping University, commissioned by the Public Health Agency of Sweden, have studied the Jönköping model for suicide prevention, in which the emergency services play a crucial role. The findings show that this approach can be life-saving and strengthen local and regional suicide prevention efforts in several ways.

Sweden has a "zero suicide" policy, yet more than 1,500 people take their own lives every year. There is no single, standardized approach to suicide prevention in Sweden, but Jönköping County has long had a suicide prevention model in which the emergency services play a crucial role.

The emergency services have been given an expanded mandate to coordinate suicide prevention efforts

In Jönköping, the emergency services have an expanded mandate to coordinate preventive efforts before, during, and after emergency calls regarding suicide, a practice that has been studied in detail by researchers at Jönköping University (JU). The findings, presented in a report, show that this approach can be a matter of life and death.

“The purpose of the study was to learn more about how broad-based suicide prevention efforts are carried out in practice. By interviewing emergency response personnel and analyzing some of the methods involved, we have gained insight into their experiences and perceptions of working according to the model,” explains Joy Torgé.

Broad collaboration among various stakeholders 

Emergency services play a central, coordinating role in local and regional suicide prevention efforts. This applies not only to emergency responses but also to ongoing suicide prevention work—both before suicide incidents occur and afterward, in the crisis support provided to those affected. The model also involves broad collaboration between various stakeholders, such as law enforcement, healthcare, social services, and the nonprofit sector.

“The results suggest that working according to the Jönköping Model can help strengthen local and regional suicide prevention efforts in several ways. For example, emergency response personnel can apply their experience in accident prevention to their role as coordinators in suicide prevention efforts,” she says.

A model consisting of three parts

The Jönköping Model is based on three components. The first is a joint emergency response plan for all emergency services; the second is a municipal action plan for safety and security; and the third consists of interprofessional working groups that focus specifically on suicide prevention and crisis support. In the municipality of Jönköping, suicide prevention is also included as part of the municipal action plan for safety and security.

– Since suicide prevention is an integral part of the municipality’s accident prevention efforts, it becomes visible and involves all municipal departments. “It has been valuable to have access to the research findings; it strengthens our work, and together with researchers from Jönköping University, we have identified both areas for improvement and strengths,” says Elin Isfall of the emergency services in the municipality of Jönköping.