Citation

Clapperton A, Newstead SV, Bugeja L, Pirkis J. Crisis 2019; 40(4): 231-239.

Affiliation

3 Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, International Association for Suicide Prevention, Publisher Hogrefe Publishing)

DOI

10.1027/0227-5910/a000553

PMID

30311798

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Mental illness is an established risk factor for suicide. To develop effective prevention interventions and strategies, the demographic characteristics and stressors (other than, or in addition to, mental illness) that can influence a person's decision to die by suicide need to be identified.

AIM: To examine cases of suicide by the presence or absence of a diagnosed mental illness (mental illness status) to identify differences in factors associated with suicide in the groups.

METHOD: Logistic regression analyses were used to investigate mental illness status and exposure to stressors among 2,839 persons who died by suicide in Victoria, Australia (2009-2013), using the Victorian Suicide Register.

RESULTS: Females, metropolitan residents, persons treated for physical illness/injury, those exposed to stressors related to isolation, family, work, education, and substance use and those who had made a previous suicide attempt had increased odds of having a diagnosed mental illness. Employed persons had decreased odds of having a diagnosed mental illness. LIMITATIONS: The retrospectivity of data collection as well as the validity and reliability of some of the data may be questionable owing to the potential for recall bias.

CONCLUSION: The point of intervention for suicide prevention cannot always be a mental health professional; some people who die by suicide either do not have a mental illness or have not sought help.

Language: en

Keywords

mental illness; suicide; suicide epidemiology; suicide stressors