Citation

Fitzpatrick SJ, Read D, Brew BK, Perkins D. Soc. Sci. Med. 2021; 284: e114196.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.114196

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This paper examines the interrelationship between suicide, health, socioeconomic, and psychosocial factors in contributing to suicide in older adults in rural Australia. Drawing on a coronial dataset of suicide cases and a mixed methods sociological autopsy approach, our study integrated a quantitative analysis of 792 suicide cases with a qualitative analysis of medico-legal reports from 30 cases. The sociological autopsy provided novel insights into the entanglement of policy and service provision at the state-level with individual end-of-life decisions. Particular attention is drawn to age and gendered dimensions of suicide, especially in relation to health and social issues. The study showed a continuity between suicide and the patterning of an individual's life course, including experiences and consequences of inequality and marginality; a desire to meet culturally-normative ideals of autonomy; and a fragmented, under-funded, and intimidating social care system that offered limited options.

Language: en

Keywords

Australia; Suicide; Older adults; Rural; End of life; Sociological autopsy