Two major reports on mental health and suicide released this week suggest two very different solutions to preventing suicides.

One, from the House of Representatives Select Committee on Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, recommends putting more resources into the mental health workforce. This includes recruiting and training more health professionals.

This might sound commendable, but I argue the evidence shows this is unlikely to work.

The other report, from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) released today, provides the latest data on suicide and self-harm. This report makes no recommendations about preventing suicide. However, it identifies child abuse and neglect as a major modifiable risk factor for suicide right across the lifespan.