Ministers should apologise for failing to replace the national suicide prevention strategy for more than a year, the Scottish Liberal Democrats have said.
A consultation on the Scottish Government's latest draft plan closed in April, while its previous suicide prevention strategy covered the period 2013 to 2016.
Lib Dem health spokesman Alex Cole-Hamilton said failure to replace the plan immediately reflected ministers' "neglect" of mental health.
It comes as research published by Glasgow University earlier this month found 11.3% of young people report having attempted suicide and 16.2% report self-harm at some stage in their lives.
READ MORE: Three quarter of Scots feel 'overwhelmed' by stress, new report finds
Meanwhile, the Samaritans previously described the contents of the new plan as "very disappointing".
It includes proposals for training to help prevent suicides in every workplace across Scotland, and a pledge to make greater use of social media, with NHS24 developing a number of initiatives in this area.
Mr Cole-Hamilton said: "An average of two people die by suicide every day.
"That means that since the SNP Government allowed the suicide prevention strategy to expire in December 2016, there will have been 1,000 deaths through suicide in Scotland.
"Given that the previous strategy reduced deaths significantly, this means that there have potentially been dozens of unnecessary deaths as a result of SNP inaction.
"Suicide has a tragic effect on families and communities, and the SNP owe every single one of them an apology for their failure to put a suitable plan in place.
"We need a step-change in how we treat mental health, not this shameful 500-day milestone and a draft strategy which charities have deemed totally inadequate."
READ MORE: Three quarter of Scots feel 'overwhelmed' by stress, new report finds
Mental Health Minister Maureen Watt said: "Suicide prevention is a top priority for this government. The impact of suicide on families, friends and communities is devastating and has long lasting consequences.
"The suicide rate in Scotland has fallen by 17% over the last decade, and we are determined to continue this strong downward trend through the final version of our suicide prevention action plan, which we plan to publish this summer.
"We are currently considering responses to our engagement paper, which closed on April 30, and we will continue to engage directly with a range of partner organisations, including the Mental Health Foundation, to help inform the final version of our action plan."
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