TY - JOUR
PY - 2022//
TI - Suicides in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people following hospital admission for suicidal ideation and self-harm: a retrospective cohort data linkage study from the Northern Territory
JO - Australian and New Zealand journal of psychiatry
A1 - Leckning, Bernard
A1 - Borschmann, Rohan
A1 - Guthridge, Steven
A1 - Silburn, Sven R.
A1 - Hirvonen, Tanja
A1 - Robinson, Gary W.
SP - ePub
EP - ePub
VL - ePub
IS - ePub
N2 - PURPOSE: This study aimed to explore risk factors for suicide in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people following hospital admission for suicidal ideation and self-harm in the Northern Territory, Australia to help clarify opportunities for improved care and intervention for these population groups.
METHODS: Individuals with at least one hospital admission involving suicidal ideation and/or self-harm between 1 July 2001 and 31 December 2013 were retrospectively recruited and followed up using linked mortality records to 31 December 2014. Survival analyses stratified by Indigenous status identified socio-demographic and clinical characteristics from index hospital admissions associated with suicide.
RESULTS: Just over half of the 4391 cohort members identified as Aboriginal (nā=ā2304; 52.4%). By 2014, 281 deaths were observed comprising 68 suicides, representing a 2.6% and 2.0% probability of suicide for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people, respectively. After adjusting for other characteristics, a higher risk of suicide was associated with male sex (Aboriginal adjusted hazard ratio: 4.14; 95% confidence interval: [1.76, 9.75]; non-Aboriginal adjusted hazard ratio: 5.96; 95% confidence interval: [1.98, 17.88]) and repeat hospital admissions involving self-harm (Aboriginal adjusted hazard ratio: 1.37; 95% confidence interval: [1.21, 1.55]; non-Aboriginal adjusted hazard ratio: 1.29; 95% confidence interval: [1.10, 1.51]). Severe mental disorders were associated with a four times higher risk of suicide (adjusted hazard ratio: 4.23; 95% confidence interval: [1.93, 9.27]) in Aboriginal people only.
CONCLUSION: The findings highlight non-clinical risk factors for suicide that suggest the need for comprehensive psychosocial assessment tailored to Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people hospitalised with suicidal ideation or self-harm. Implementing appropriate management and aftercare within a broader public health framework is needed to support recovery and reduce long-term suicide risk in the community, especially for Aboriginal people and males.
Language: en
LA - en SN - 0004-8674 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/00048674221099822 ID - ref1 ER -