Stories from community: How suicide rates fell in two Indigenous communities

Indigenous suicide is a significant population health challenge for Australia. Suicide has emerged in the past half century as a major cause of Indigenous premature mortality and is a contributor to the overall Indigenous health and life expectancy gap. In 2014, it was the fifth leading cause of death among Indigenous people, and the age-standardised suicide rate was around twice as high as the non-Indigenous rate. Indigenous children and young people are particularly vulnerable, comprising 30 per cent of the suicide deaths among those under 18 years of age. In addition, Indigenous 15–24 year olds are more than five times as likely to suicide as their non- Indigenous peers. As males represent the significant majority of completed Indigenous suicides, gender can also be understood as a risk factor.