Resource Tag: AUSTRALIA

Nearly 3,000 Australians tragically end their lives by suicide each year, underscoring a major national public health challenge with substantial socio-economic ramifications. Australia’s National Mental Health Plans (NMHPs) aim to improve mental health and reduce suicide rates. This study investigates their effectiveness by analyzing how age-standardized suicide rates across Australian jurisdictions have fluctuated alongside the […]

TrackSAFE commissioned The University of Melbourne to conduct an in-depth review of Australian railway suicide coronial data to develop the evidence base for prevention interventions. We extracted data about railway  suicides that occurred over the period 2015-2019 from the National Coronial Information System (NCIS) and systematically coded the detailed circumstances of incidents, focusing particularly on […]

Background The current study aimed to compare current suicide rates, trends, previous treatment, suicidality and mental health diagnoses for First Nations and non-Indigenous young people who died by suicide. Methods Age-specific suicide rates (ASSRs) were calculated per 100,000 persons/year using suicides aged 10–19 years in the Queensland Suicide Register. Rate Ratios (RRs) and 95 % CIs compared […]

Crisis helplines are designed to provide short-term support to people in an immediate crisis. However, there is a group of users who call crisis helplines frequently over an extended period of time. The reasons for their ongoing use remain unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the differences in the reasons for calling […]

Suicides are likely to be underreported. In Australia, the National Coronial Information System (NCIS) provides information about suicide deaths reported to coroners. The NCIS represents the findings on the intent of the deceased as determined by coroners. We used the Queensland Suicide Register (QSR) to assess the direction, magnitude, and predictors of any differences in […]

Objective: Each year approximately 3,000 Australians die by suicide. We estimated the population attributable risk for identified target populations to provide evidence on how much of the overall burden of suicide in the Australian population is experienced by each of them. Methods: We identified 17 demographic and clinical target populations at risk of suicide and calculated the […]

Objective: Each year approximately 3,000 Australians die by suicide. We estimated the population attributable risk for identified target populations to provide evidence on how much of the overall burden of suicide in the Australian population is experienced by each of them. Methods: We identified 17 demographic and clinical target populations at risk of suicide and calculated the […]

Suicide is a major societal problem. In Australia, there were 3,144 deaths by suicide in 2021 with suicide being the leading cause of death amongst young people (18-24 years).1 The impact of suicides is particularly devastating for families, friends and communities when they occur in clusters. A suicide cluster is  defined as a group of […]

This report incorporates the qualitative evaluation of the implementation of the Mates in Manufacturing Pilot Suicide Prevention Program, as funded by SIRA, and delivered in conjunction with Australian Manufacturing Workers Union and Mates in construction. The research sought to examine the extent to which a  peer-to-peer suicide prevention project could be translated from the Construction […]

Introduction Although many studies have examined the risk and protective factors associated with suicidal behavior, little is known about the probability of transition from suicidal thoughts to suicidal attempts and the factors that distinguish those who have suicidal thoughts from those who progress to a suicide attempt. Objectives To determine the probability and predictors of […]

The Murray–Darling Basin (MDB) is Australia’s prime agricultural region, where drought and hotter weather pose a significant threat to rural residents’ mental health – hence increasing their potential suicide risk. We investigate the impact of drought and hotter temperatures on monthly suicide within local areas in the MDB, from 2006–2016. Using Poisson fixed-effects regression modeling, […]

Background: This study investigated the frequency, characteristics, and geospatial clustering of hotel suicides in Australia to inform suicide prevention efforts. Aims: (1) To determine the proportion of suicide deaths that occurred in hotels, (2) to determine differences in demographic characteristics of hotel deaths compared to other locations, (3) to assess level of planning, and (4) to determine whether […]

Introduction: Suicide is a leading cause of mortality among young people aged 15-24 globally. Despite the deployment of comprehensive suicide prevention strategies, we still do not know which interventions, for which groups of young people, for how long and with what intensity could generate the most significant reductions in suicide rates. System dynamics modelling has the […]

Objectives: There is accumulating evidence about effectiveness of a number of suicide prevention interventions, and a multilevel systems approach seems promising in reducing suicide risk. This approach requires that components ranging from individual-level to public health interventions are implemented simultaneously in a localised region. This paper presents estimated reductive effects on suicide attempts and deaths that […]

Background: This study addressed the limited understanding of suicide risk and patterns among migrants in Australia. It examined national-level suicide rates and trends in the Australian population to identify migrant groups which are disproportionately affected by suicide. Methods: The National Coronial Information System was used to identify suicide cases from 2006 to 2019. Incident rate […]

Background: Rates of hospital admission for suicide-related thoughts and behaviors (SRTBs) are elevated in the Northern Territory (NT) of Australia, especially by Aboriginal people, but very little is known about emergency department (ED) presentations. Aim: We aimed to profile ED presentations in the NT involving SRTBs by Indigenous status and compare discharge arrangements. Method: Logistic regression analyses were performed on […]

Background: Indigenous Australians experience a suicide rate over twice that of the general population. With nonfatal deliberate self-harm (DSH) being the single most important risk factor for suicide, characterizing the incidence and repetition of DSH in this population is essential. Aims: To investigate the incidence and repetition of DSH in three remote Indigenous communities in Far North Queensland, […]

This Report is a collection of stories provided through an experience-informed lens. It assists the Commission to understand the impact of change and reform, linking the experience of the past 10 years with our Vision for the mental health and suicide prevention systems over the next 10 years. We asked participants three key questions to […]

Suicide continues to be a major public health challenge in Australia with significant individual, community, and societal impacts. Targeted and timely research efforts are essential to effectively address this challenge in a rapidly changing world. Building on our earlier research priority setting exercise conducted in 2017, the present project aimed to inform future priorities in […]

Background: Media reporting of suicide has attracted public health attention because of its potential to trigger “copycat” acts. Aims: To determine the factors associated with an individual suicide featuring in the media. Method: We identified from the National Coroners Information System (NCIS) all suicides that occurred in Australia over a 1-year period and established those that were reported […]

The accuracy of suicide statistics is far from being just an obsession for epidemiologists: It directly influences policy-making in mental and public health, planning and funding of preventative strategies,  and research reports. Community awareness and support services depend on reliable reporting, and determining the extent and costs of suicide is important for combating stigma and […]

Objective: Indigenous suicide prevention is an important focus for national health policies. Indigenous suicide rates in formerly colonial English-speaking countries such as the United States, Australia and New Zealand are considerably higher than the general population, particularly in young males. Given the similarities in their sociocultural history, a time series analysis was conducted to assess recent […]

Background: We study the impact of suicide-exclusion periods, common in life insurance policies in Australia, on suicide and accidental death rates for life-insured individuals. If a life-insured individual dies by suicide during the period of suicide exclusion, commonly 13 months, the sum insured is not paid. Aims: We examine whether a suicide-exclusion period affects the timing of […]