Continuous and reliable surveillance of suicidality is essential for the development of effective national suicide prevention strategies. While data on suicide mortality is routinely collected and reported through official statistics in many countries, monitoring of non-fatal suicidal behavior remains fragmented, methodologically heterogeneous, or entirely absent. Countries operating or developing a broader suicidality surveillance system often draw on multiple data sources to enable a more comprehensive understanding of frequencies and temporal trends. Population-based survey data and routine data from emergency departments, inpatient and outpatient care, emergency medical and crisis services, as well as police records each have distinct strengths and limitations, and their integration introduces further complexities. Countries face similar challenges around data quality, consistency and interpretability within and across settings.

This pre-conference workshop brings together public health researchers from Europe to strengthen cross-country learning and international collaboration on suicidality surveillance by facilitating knowledge sharing, joint problem-solving and capacity building.

The objectives of the session are:

• To present and compare existing national surveillance approaches, including data sources used, as well as strategies for case identification and reporting practices
• To discuss common methodological challenges, such as underreporting, coding specificity, sectoral data gaps, and linkage across care settings.
• To explore approaches to strengthening the validity, long-term sustainability and cross-national comparability of surveillance systems.
• To exchange perspectives on how suicide surveillance systems and reporting practices can be optimized to inform prevention.
• To identify shared priorities for future collaboration in the field.

Teams from France (Santé publique France), Austria (Austrian National Public Health Institute), Ireland (National Suicide Research Foundation Ireland), England (Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and University of Manchester), Wales (NHS Wales) and Germany (Robert Koch Institute) will present their suicidality surveillance approaches, followed by structured discussions in plenary sessions and smaller breakout groups. The focus will be on practical questions and learning opportunities: what works, where difficulties arise, and how they have been addressed. Interested conference participants are cordially invited to contribute to the discussions.