@article{ref1,
title="Unacceptably high: an audit of Kimberley self-harm data 2014-2018",
journal="Australasian psychiatry",
year="2021",
author="McPhee, Rob and Carlin, Emma and Seear, Kimberley and Carrington-Jones, Phoebe and Sheil, Barbara and Lawrence, David and Dudgeon, Patricia",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="OBJECTIVE: To explore the rates and characteristics of self-harm across the Kimberley region of Western Australia. <br><br>METHOD: Retrospective, cross-sectional audit. We obtained and descriptively analysed routinely collected self-harm data from the Kimberley District of the Western Australia Police Force (2014-2018) and the Emergency Department Data Collection (June 2017-December 2018). Variables included age, sex, Indigenous status, time of incident, and alcohol and drug use. <br><br>RESULTS: The rate of emergency department attendance for self-harm was three times higher in the Kimberley than the rest of Western Australia. Both emergency department and police data showed a disproportionately high percentage of incidents involving Aboriginal people, with highest rates in the 15-19 and 20-24 year age groups. Almost 80% of self-harm events recorded by police involving individuals aged 25-50 years involved alcohol. Many self-harm incidents occurred in the evening and at night. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: The rates of self-harm across the Kimberley region from 2014-2018 are unacceptably high. Increased funding and alignment of services to meet regional need are required as part of a holistic effort to reduce regional rates of self-harm.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1039-8562",
doi="10.1177/10398562211010790",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10398562211010790"
}