Most Norwegian suicide deaths occurred without recent specialist mental health or addiction contact

A Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI) report examined national registry data on 7,211 people aged 15 years or older who died by suicide during 2010–2021. The descriptive study assessed characteristics and potential prevention settings among people without contact with specialist mental health services or interdisciplinary specialist addiction treatment during their final year of life.

Of those who died, 3,983 had no such specialist contact. The annual proportion remained relatively stable at 50–60%. Among those without specialist contact, approximately 30% of men and 40% of women had at least one general practitioner consultation in their final month. This proportion exceeded 40% among men older than 70 years. Most consultations were recorded for reasons other than mental health concerns.

Many men aged 26–69 were in full-time employment, while a substantial proportion received benefits from Norway’s labour and welfare administration, NAV. Among men aged 15–25, almost half were active students and more than 40% worked full- or part-time. FHI identified primary care, workplaces, welfare services and educational institutions as potential settings for prevention beyond specialist healthcare.

The findings support considering suicide prevention across multiple sectors, but do not demonstrate that particular interventions would prevent deaths. As a descriptive analysis, the study cannot estimate individual suicide risk, establish causes or show that contact with a particular setting itself indicates increased risk.