Nordic Consortium on Suicide Prevention

The Nordic Consortium for Evidence Based Research in Suicide Prevention (NSP)

Suicide is an important public health problem, more so in the Nordic countries. A few decades ago, suicide rates in Denmark and Finland were among the highest in the world, but since the 1980’s they have been decreasing in all the Nordic countries. Suicide is still very common among the elderly, and is the most common cause of death among young men. Men are nearly two to four times more likely to commit suicide than females. Suicide rates reveal distinct variations in the respective Nordic countries.

In 2008, leading research institutions on suicide and suicide prevention in the Nordic countries agreed to form the Nordic Consortium for Evidence Based Research in Prevention of Suicide (NSP). The aim of this Consortium is to facilitate cross-national inspiration across all relevant areas for suicide prevention, for example:  treatment guidelines after deliberate self-harm, assessment of suicide risk in different high-risk populations, public health initiatives, educational programs and preventive campaigns. The Consortium wishes to draw upon the experience pool of all Nordic countries, and take initiatives to coordinate suicide prevention strategies.