Suicide

 [ Migrants ] [ Refugees ] [ Key Terms ]

On Wednesday 31 March 2010, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released the 2008 Causes of Death data.  The suicide statistics on this webpage will be updated by Friday 9 April 2010 to reflect the new data.

For a summary of the updated 2008 data, refer to Recent Australian Data section on the media professionals website

Migrants and suicide

• Suicide rates differ between cultures and it cannot be assumed that the risk of suicide and factors that contribute to suicide are similar across all cultures¹.
• Suicide rates among immigrants tend to reflect rates in the originating country, with convergence towards the Australian rate over time².
• The social and cultural experiences in the country of birth are an important influence on subsequent suicide rates in the host country³.
• Rates are generally higher among people born in countries that have higher suicide rates (notably, English-speaking countries, countries from western, northern and eastern Europe), and lower in immigrant groups from countries with lower suicide rates (including southern Europe, the Middle East and Asia)⁴.
• At a national level (in Australia), analysis of suicide deaths indicates that 25% of suicides are among the immigrant population, with 60% being from a non-English speaking background⁵.At a NSW state level, nearly 27% of suicide deaths are among the immigrant population, with 57% being from a non-English speaking background⁶.
• Males born in a country other than Australia have a lower suicide rate than Australian-born males, while the rate is higher for females born overseas than for Australian-born females⁷.
• Immigrants at greater risk of suicide are those who dispute the decision to migrate, have poor expectations of the future, are socially isolated, are of a lower social class and encounter language barriers⁸.
• Elevated rates of suicide among immigrant-ethnic groups have been related to a greater degree of social assimilation and a lower level of community cohesiveness⁹.
• The conceptualisation and acceptability of suicide varies across cultures. In Western societies suicide is often considered to be an independent act for which the individual has responsibility. In contrast, taking one's life in Asian culture is often understood in terms of an individual's interpersonal relationships. In other cultures altruistic suicide among the elderly and the sick is more accepted than in Western society¹⁰.
• Suicide rates for immigrants, males and females, aged over 65 are significantly higher than for the overall population, including both immigrants from countries with lower and higher suicide rates. This increase with age is thought to reflect socio-cultural factors that immigrants bring with them¹¹.

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Refugees and suicide

• Refugees who are bereaved or have post-traumatic stress disorder are at risk of suicide¹².
• Factors that increase the risk of attempting suicide include physical and especially advanced physical illness, poorly managed mental or physical symptoms, disorientation, exhaustion, little social support, alcoholism, history of depression or current depression, history of suicide attempts and unresolved grief¹³.
• In many cases, suicidal ideation or the method of suicide by refugees is related to stressful events, especially torture experienced by them¹⁴.
• In Australia there is emerging evidence that self-harm, suicide and suicide attempts may occur when an asylum seeker's application of permanent protection has been rejected, and he/she is asked to return to his/her country of origin¹⁵.
• An inquiry undertaken by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) found that suicide attempts by asylum seekers in detention are not infrequent, with 'numerous examples of detainees attempting suicide or serious self-harm' being cited in incident reports. The rates of self-harm were high for people in the 26-35 age range and predominantly men¹⁶.
• The methods used by children to self-harm can be quite dramatic¹⁷.

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References

1 De Leo, D. & Spathonis, K. (2003). Culture, society and suicide. Australian Mosaic, 4, 27-30.
2 Singh, G. K. & Siahpush, M. (2001). All-cause and cause-specific mortality of immigrants and native born in the United States. American Journal of Public Health, 91, 392-399.
3 Burvill, P. W. (1998). Migrant suicide rates in Australia and in country of birth. Psychosocial Medicine, 28, 201-208.
4 Cantor, C., &  Neulinger, K. (2000).  The epidemiology of suicide and attempted suicide among young Australians.
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry 34, 370–387.; McDonald, B. & Steel, S. (1997). Immigrants and Mental Health: An epidemiological analysis. Sydney: Transcultural Mental Health Centre.; Morrell, S., Taylor, R., Slaytor, E. & Ford, P. (1999). Urban and rural suicide differentials in migrants and the Australian-born, New South Wales, Australia 1985-1994. Social Science and Medicine, 49, 81-91.
5 Cantor, C., & Neulinger, K. (1998). op cit; Hassan, R. (1995). Suicide explained: The Australian experience. Melbourne University Press, Melbourne; Kyrios, M. (1994). Suicidality, culture and migrants. In Suicide Crisis in Community and Rural Health. Lifeline: Ballarat, VIC.
6 McDonald, B. & Steel, S. (1997). op cit
7 Morrell, S., Taylor, R., Slaytor, E. & Ford, P. (1999). Urban and rural suicide differentials in migrants and the Australian-born, New South Wales, Australia 1985-1994. Social Science and Medicine, 49, 81-91.
8 Ferrada-Noli, M., Asberg, M., Ormstad, K., & Nordstrom, P. (1995). Definite and undetermined forensic diagnoses of suicide among immigrants in Sweden. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 91, 130-135.
9 Trovato, F. (1986). A time series analysis of international immigration and mortality in Canada. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 32, 38-46.
10 De Leo, D. & Spathonis, K. (2003). Culture, society and suicide. Australian Mosaic, 4, 27-30.
11 McDonald, B. & Steel, S. (1997). op cit
12 Kemp, A. Mental health: Culture health refugees immigrants. Retrieved May 15, 2007 from http://www3.baylor.edu/~Charles_Kemp/refugee_mental_health.htm
13 Ibid
14 Ibid
15 Procter, N. (2004). Emergency mental health nursing for refugees and asylum seekers. Australian Nursing Journal, 12, 21-23.
16 Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission. (1998). Those Who've Come Across the Seas: The report of the Commission's Inquiry into the detention of unauthorised arrivals. Canberra, ACT: HRECO. 
17 Ibid

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