Abstract
Purpose
The aims of this study were to: (1) examine the role of psychosocial factors, physical and mental health in suicide; (2) to examine gender differences on those variables; and (3) determine whether there was a group who died by suicide who did not have a history of mental illness.
Method
Data were obtained from The Australian National Coroners Information System (NCIS) for all deaths classified as suicides from 2000 to 2004 in all Australian states. The NCIS is an internet-based system for storing and retrieving data on coronial cases.
Results
The overall results from the total sample reinforces many previous findings but also found some differences; importantly, psychiatric morbidity was less than generally reported, and comparable proportions of males and females used violent means to suicide. Using latent class analysis the study identified four clusters of people who had suicided. In two of those clusters mental illness appeared to be a significant factor; in one of those two clusters the mental illness was compounded by additional drug and alcohol and relationship problems whilst the other was without such levels of comorbidity. The third group was predominantly male, older and physical illness seemed to be a significant factor. The final group was characterised by low rates of mental illness and treatment for the same, but marked by relationship and financial difficulties.
Conclusions
These data may suggest that the profile of suicide is changing or changeable. Certainly there has been a shift in the gender profile with comparable proportions of women and men. Whilst mental illness remains a major risk factor, perhaps greater emphasis needs to be placed on the broader psychosocial issues which may initiate or hasten the pathway to suicide. In addition, it may be that the relative contribution of mental illness and other factors is fluid in relation to both life stage and life circumstances. Suicide prevention programmes might usefully define a range of discrete areas of work.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
World Health Organisation (2007) Suicide prevention (SUPRE). http://www.who.int/mental_health/prevention/suicide/suicideprevent/en/
Bertolote JM, Fleischmann A (2002) A global perspective in the epidemiology of suicide. Suicidology 7:6–8
Hawton K (2000) Sex and suicide. Gender differences in suicidal behaviour. Br J Psychiatry 177:484–485
Durkheim E (1951) Suicide: a study in sociology. Free Press, New York
Harris EC, Barraclough B (1997) Suicide as an outcome for mental disorders: a meta-analysis. Br J Psychiatry 170:205–228
Moscicki EK (1997) Identification of suicide risk factors using epidemiological studies. Psychiatr Clin N Am 20:499–517
Nock MK et al (2008) Suicide and suicidal behaviour. Epidemiol Rev 30:133–154
Cavanagh JTO et al (2003) Psychological autopsy studies of suicide: a systematic review. Psychol Med 33:395–405
Hawton K et al (1998) The psychological autopsy approach to studying suicide: a review of methodological issues. J Affect Disord 50:269–276
Houston K, Hawton K, Shepperd R (2001) Suicide in young people ages 15–24: a psychological autopsy study. J Affect Disord 2001:159–170
Appleby L et al (1999) Psychological autopsy studies of suicide by people aged under 35. Br J Psychiatry 175:168–174
Mortensen PB et al (2000) Psychiatric illness and risk factors for suicide in Denmark. Lancet 355:9–12
House A (2008) The first cut is not the deepest: understanding the link between self-harm and suicide. Australasian Society for Psychiatric Research Conference, Newcastle
Muthén LK, Muthén BO (2007) Mplus user’s guide, 5th edn. Muthen & Muthen, Los Angeles
Akaike H (1987) Factor analysis and the AIC. Psychometrika 52:317–332
Schwartz G (1978) Estimating the dimension of a model. Ann Stat 6:461–464
Sclove SL (1987) Application of model-selection criteria to some problems in multivariate analysis. Psychometrika 52:333–343
Lo Y, Mendell N, Rubin DB (2001) Testing the number of components in a normal mixture. Biometrika 88:767–778
Australian Bureau of Statistics (2008) Causes of death, 2006. Australian Bureau of Statistics, Canberra
Mann J et al (2005) Suicide prevention strategies. A systematic review. JAMA 294:2064–2074
Kposowa AJ, McElvain JP (2006) Gender, place, and method of suicide. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 41:435–443
Kelly BJ, Turner J (2009) Depression in advanced physical illness: diagnostic and treatment issues. Med J Aust 190:S90–S93
Rodin G, Voshart K (1986) Depression in the medically ill: an overview. Am J Psychiatry 143:696–705
Gunnell D, Lewis G (2005) Studying suicide from the life course perspective: implications for prevention. Br J Psychiatry 187:206–208
Acknowledgments
We wish to acknowledge the following organisations that supported the study: Australian National Coroners Information System (NCIS) and Bendigo Health Care Group.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Judd, F., Jackson, H., Komiti, A. et al. The profile of suicide: changing or changeable?. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 47, 1–9 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-010-0306-z
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-010-0306-z