The Luminos Project: Co-Designing a Short-Stay Suicide Support Model for Young People

<i>Background:</i> Suicide was the leading cause of death among young Australians aged 15-24 years old in 2023, with 392 lives lost. The continued high numbers of youth suicide demand urgent exploration of alternative approaches to suicide intervention in this population. The United Kingdom-based suicide service Maytree offers an innovative short-term stay for people experiencing suicidal thoughts. Grounded by the Maytree model-of-care, the aim of the current study was to co-design a short-stay service responsive to the specific needs of suicidal young people. <i>Methods:</i> Semi-structured and focus group interviews with young people (<i>n</i> = 38), caregivers (<i>n</i> = 11) and key local stakeholders (<i>n</i> = 26) in Perth, Western Australia. <i>Results:</i> Deductive and inductive thematic analysis identified 8 core themes: benefits, service design, staffing, operations, referrals, challenges and safety, measures of success, and language. Endorsement of the Luminos model as beneficial to young people experiencing thoughts of suicide was nearly unanimous. <i>Conclusions:</i> These findings provide actionable insights for the development of alternative, youth-informed suicide support services.