Rod Jackson tried to take his own life, once.

Key points: Half of the Victorians, who died by suicide between 2009 and 2015, were in contact with mental health services in their final six weeks of life

Half of the Victorians, who died by suicide between 2009 and 2015, were in contact with mental health services in their final six weeks of life More than 97,000 people were impacted by the 720 suicides in Victoria last year

More than 97,000 people were impacted by the 720 suicides in Victoria last year Rod Jackson credits the Men's Shed movement for helping his recovery after his suicide attempt

Then, while awaiting treatment in the hospital, he could see out to some train tracks.

He thought about it again, he told Victoria's Royal Commission into Mental Health on Monday morning.

"Something in me told me not to," he told the royal commission.

"I knew if I did that, I was being selfish, it was signing my family up for a life of pain and regret," he told the ABC, his wife Jenny by his side.

Mr Jackson's story is a happy one — but for the families of several thousand Australians who die by suicide each year, it is not.

"It is estimated that for every suicide, more than one in 135 people suffer intense grief," counsel assisting the commission, Lisa Nicholls, told the inquiry.

"In considering suicide prevention, it's also important to consider the ripple effect that suicide has on family, friends, colleagues, and the broader community."

Multiply that by the 720 Victorians who, according to the state's suicide register, suicided in 2018, and the number of people grieving grows to 97,200 each year.

The comments came at the outset of two days of hearings focussed on the royal commission's biggest objective — reducing the number of suicide deaths.

Susan Trotter, who gave evidence under a pseudonym in a closed hearing of the Royal Commission, said her son Rohan was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and short term memory loss as a teenager.

"He was always fighting his demons," she told the commission.

In 2010, Rohan took his life.

"For the rest of my life all I think about is 'why?' 'if,' 'but,' 'if only,'" Ms Trotter told the commissioners.

'Breaks my heart'

Jeremy Dwyer manages Victoria's suicide register at the state's Coroners Court.

Mr Dywer told the commission his data showed 50 per cent of people who suicided in Victoria between 2009 and 2015 had been in contact with health services for mental health issues in the final six weeks of their lives.

"I think it means that any improvements in mental health services that emerge from the royal commission's findings have the real potential to reduce suicide," he said.

The implication was clear — do not waste this opportunity.

Victoria's Government has said it will implement whatever the commission recommends.

Susan Trotter wants action on appropriate responses, testifying that on one occasion, she'd been told by a hospital worker her son was "an attention seeker" who "would never take his own life".

"I keep seeing parents let down by the mental health system, which breaks my heart," Ms Trotter said.

'Men's sheds are a lifeline'

Rod Jackson got a lot of support from his wife Jenny. ( ABC News: James Bennett )

Melbourne University Professor Jane Pirkis said hard data on effective interventions was difficult to gather, because of the ethical questions around trialling different approaches among at-risk people.

"The therapeutic approach is to give the person what is right for them, rather than trialling the efficacy of a particular intervention?" counsel assisting Ms Nichols asked her.

"Yes," Professor Pirkis agreed.

"The contemporary solution is to try to deliver this suite of interventions," she said.

Ms Pirkis added Australia was doing "about as well" as other countries when it came to tackling suicide.

"I don't think anyone else has, no other countries have, demonstrably massively reduced their suicide rate," she said.

But Mr Jackson said Men's Sheds do work.

The real reason he came to give evidence wasn't to talk about his attempted suicide, it was to celebrate the camaraderie at the Sunbury Men's Shed, which he credits with helping him recover.

In his late 50s, Mr Jackson is among the highest risk category for suicide.

"Ninety per cent of all of the blokes are looking for companionship," he said.

"Men's sheds are a lifeline for those blokes."