Listening to What Truly Matters with STARS

In suicide prevention, understanding the unique concerns each person has can make all the difference. 

Jacinta Hawgood, clinical psychologist and researcher at Griffith University, emphasises the importance of listening deeply to those in distress, rather than assuming we know what’s most important.

In this month’s episode of Never the Same podcast, Jacinta spoke about “STARS [Systematic Tailored Assessment for Responding to Suicidality] which is designed to balance structure with empathy (Hawgood et al., 2022). 

“It allows people to tell their story and highlight what is of most concern to them,” she said. 

“For example, we ask clients how much a particular factor, like unemployment or access to means, is concerning to them. This shifts the focus from the professional deciding what matters to truly hearing from the individual.”

Jacinta pointed out that some traditional risk assessments can unintentionally overshadow the person’s own perspective. 

“Something that might seem critical to us as a professional could be of little concern to the individual,” she said. 

“For instance, unemployment is often flagged as a major risk factor, but for some clients, it’s not an issue at all—they might actually welcome time away from work.”

This approach not only centres the person in their care but also promotes collaboration in creating meaningful safety plans. 

“The training behind STARS helps workers take what the person identifies as concerning and directly inform the care plan,” Jacinta explained. 

“It’s about aligning interventions with their lived experience, rather than imposing a one-size-fits-all solution.”

You can learn more about STARS here.