One hundred and twenty people involved in Queensland domestic and family violence cases died by suicide in the three years to last July, compared to 71 homicide deaths in the same period, according to a government-established board examining family violence deaths.

Key points: The figures are the first time in Queensland a link between domestic and family violence and suicide has been examined

The figures are the first time in Queensland a link between domestic and family violence and suicide has been examined A series of specialist suicide awareness training workshops are now available for women's shelter and refuge workers across the state

A series of specialist suicide awareness training workshops are now available for women's shelter and refuge workers across the state The workshops have helped staff better recognise signs when a woman is at risk

The Domestic and Family Violence Death Review and Advisory Board found five children aged between 10 to 17 years old were among those that took their lives in those three years.

It also found two women overdosed on prescription medication while staying at women's shelters, which has since sparked the rollout of specialist suicide awareness skills training for staff at women's refuges and shelters across the state, funded by the Department for Child Safety, Youth and Women.

Deputy chair of the board, Dr Kathleen Baird, said the figures were the first time in Queensland a link between domestic and family violence and suicide had been examined.

"It's been the hidden toll because we've not really looked at what is the clear association between the two," Dr Baird said.

"We've possibly had a suicide before and not really been able to examine to see whether there's been domestic and family violence in there.

"It's because we now have some really clear process to identify domestic and family violence earlier and we have new process around information sharing."

Dr Baird says there is now "some clear process to identify domestic and family violence earlier". ( Supplied: Gold Coast Health )

The 120 suicides included perpetrators, victims and children exposed to domestic and family violence, and more than half of the deaths occurred after the parties were separated.

"It's important to realise that almost 70 per cent of the suicides occur during separation," Dr Baird said.

"We mustn't get complacent that just because someone has moved on from that relationship, or is not living in that home anymore, that they're safe."

The data showed 97 people who suicided in that period were men, which the death review board noted is reflective of general suicide trends where a greater proportion of men die by suicide than women.

Stories of strength and resilience

In its last two annual reports, the board undertook in-depth reviews of 59 domestic and family violence deaths to understand the complex dynamics surrounding each.

One case involved the apparent suicide of an Aboriginal boy in his early teens who witnessed and experienced domestic and family violence most of his life.

Travis* and his siblings were known to the Child Safety Department and were all named persons on a domestic violence protection order at the time of his death.

Another was a woman named Paula*, who was found dead in a room at a women's shelter where she resided for a short period after fleeing a violent relationship with her then-partner.

The report found she sought assistance from staff at the refuge but discovered it was unattended over the weekend and when she called the after-hours crisis support, she was advised to turn her phone off.

No further follow-up was made by that staff member and she was found deceased when external parties contacted the residence to check on her.

Keith* was a man aged in his mid-20s when he died by suicide a few months after separating from his partner.

He displayed obsessive and controlling behaviour toward his partner, including harassing her via excessive text messages, emails and social media posts, and the abuse escalated to the point where he confronted his partner outside her home and took his life shortly afterwards.

The board, which was set up as a result of the State Government's Not Now, Not Ever domestic and family violence report, pointed out in its report that while the cases were distressing, they were also stories of strength and resilience, often in the face of relentless and enduring violence.

*The cases have been de-identified to protect the identities of the deceased and their loved ones.

More mental health funding needed

Domestic violence survivor Michelle Beattie said her experience had impacted every aspect her life and caused her mental health to suffer.

"I thought about suicide quite often," Ms Beattie said.

"The fact that you've ended up in hospital, you have injuries, you've come home, your house is all smashed up — you're out looking for services that can help you and you're just slipping through the cracks in the system — and really at the end of the day you go, 'what's the point?'"

Ms Beattie said there was a desperate need for more funding for mental health services in Queensland and that not enough follow-up for clients was provided.

"A lot of these women are going in and getting one or two sessions of counselling, which isn't giving them the tools to work with to get around their situation and to move on," Ms Beattie said.

Statewide training for women's shelters

Since its establishment in 2016, the Domestic and Family Violence Death Review and Advisory Board has made a raft of recommendations to strengthen service systems, including the implementation of suicide risk screening processes after the deaths of two women in women's refuges.

The Queensland Government accepted that recommendation and in response, funded a series of specialist suicide awareness training workshops for women's shelter and refuge workers across the state, from Mount Isa to Cairns and down to the Gold Coast.

Queensland Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence, Di Farmer, said it had helped staff better recognise signs when a woman was at risk and what to do to help.

"It's the most dangerous phase of a woman's life, when she's had to flee from a violent home," Ms Farmer said.

"People who are suicidal don't know how to say what they're feeling … so it gives workers the skills to first recognise it, then to know what to say and to know that it's not their job to fix it, and three: to know where to refer that person if they do need more help."

Specialist suicide awareness training workshops have been developed for women's shelter and refuge workers. ( ABC News: Danielle Bonica )

Ms Farmer said that due to an overwhelming demand, the training was also made available to domestic violence support services, and it was hoped organisations and shelters would improve their mental health policies and procedures as a result.

In a statement, the Department of Child Safety, Youth and Women said it was investigating ways to implement standardised policies for medicine storage in domestic and family violence women's shelters as part of a suicide prevention framework, which was also part of the review board's recommendation.

Team leader of Save the Children's domestic violence Gold Coast mobile outreach service, Kate Heron, said the workshop had helped give her the confidence to directly ask someone if they were having suicidal ideations.

"Quite often people feel that there may be some taboo or stigma around suicide and if I actually ask that question is that putting the idea in their head," Ms Heron said.

"But for us the key message was, you need to ask people directly and explicitly because that could be the only invitation that they get to say yes or no, and then get the support they need afterwards."