Citation

Pandeya NA, Schluter PJ, Spurling GK, Tyson C, Hayman NE, Askew DA. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022; 19(1): e153.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, MDPI: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute)

DOI

10.3390/ijerph19010153

PMID

35010413

Abstract

Suicide amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is a major cause of premature mortality and a significant contributor to the health and life expectancy gap. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of thoughts of self-harm or suicide in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people attending an urban primary health care service and identify factors associated with these thoughts. Multilevel mixed-effects modified Poisson regression models were employed to analyse three years of data gathered during the annual Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health assessments. At their first health assessment, 11.5% (191/1664) of people reported thoughts of suicide or self-harm in the prior two weeks. Having children, participating in sport or community activities or being employed full-time decreased the risk of such thoughts. Conversely, factors relating to social exclusion including homelessness, drug use, unemployment and job insecurity increased the risk of thoughts of self-harm or suicide. Individual clinicians, health services, and policy-makers all have a role in suicide prevention. Clinicians need appropriate training to be able to respond to people expressing these thoughts. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community organisations need sovereignty and self-determination over resources to provide programs that promote cultural connectivity and address social exclusion, thereby saving lives.

Language: en

Keywords

suicidal ideation; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples; epidemiological study; primary health care