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Widening socioeconomic inequalities in Australian suicide, despite recent declines in suicide rates

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Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to investigate trends in socioeconomic inequalities of suicide from 1979 to 2013 for Australian males and females aged 15–34 years and 35–64 years.

Methods

Data on suicides and population were obtained from national registries. An area-based measure of socioeconomic status (SES) was used, and categorized into low, middle, and high SES areas. Suicide rates for each SES groups were estimated using a negative binomial regression model, adjusted for confounders. Socioeconomic inequalities in suicide were assessed using absolute and relative risk of low-to-high SES areas. Secular changes in socioeconomic inequalities were assessed using trend tests for relative risk.

Results

For young males, there was an increase in socioeconomic inequality driven by a significant decrease in suicide rates in high SES areas. For older males, inequality in suicide increased by 29%, which was related to a marked increase in suicide rates in low SES areas. Inequalities in both young and older female suicides also increased. These increases occurred when corresponding suicide rates in high SES areas decreased.

Conclusions

Recent widening socioeconomic inequalities in Australian suicide have been primarily associated with declines in suicide rates in high SES areas. However, an increasing inequality in older male suicide is linked with low SES. Efforts targeting people from poor areas, especially older males, should be considered when developing suicide prevention strategy.

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Funding

This study was funded by the Lifeline Research Foundation.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, Centre for Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia

    Lay San Too & Matthew J. Spittal

  2. Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, Centre for Health Equity, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia

    Phillip C. F. Law & Allison Milner

  3. Centre for Health Research, University of Western Sydney, Kingswood, NSW, 2747, Australia

    Andrew Page

Authors
  1. Lay San Too
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  2. Phillip C. F. Law
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  3. Matthew J. Spittal
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  4. Andrew Page
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  5. Allison Milner
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Contributions

AM, AP, and LST designed the study. AP, LST, and PCFL collected data. LST performed the analyses and interpreted data with input from MJS, AP, and AM. LST and PCFL wrote the first draft of the manuscript. All authors revised the draft and contributed to the final version of manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lay San Too.

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Conflict of interest

All authors declared that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethics approval

Ethical approval was obtained from the Health Sciences Human Ethics Committee (the University of Melbourne) and the Justice Human Research Ethics Committee (State Government Victoria).

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Too, L.S., Law, P.C.F., Spittal, M.J. et al. Widening socioeconomic inequalities in Australian suicide, despite recent declines in suicide rates. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 53, 969–976 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-018-1527-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-018-1527-9

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