Trends and predictors of suicide in Australian children
Australian Research Council Linkage Project LP0990918 (2010-2012). Partners include Queensland Health, Queensland Office of the State Coroner, Commission for Children and Young People and Child Guardian, Department of Education, Training and Arts.
Child suicide is a major public concern both in Australia and internationally. In Australia, the rates for children younger than 15 years is estimated to have increased by 92% between the 1960s to 1990s. The overall aim of this project is to obtain a better understanding of factors surrounding child suicide in Australia, with a focusing on Queensland. Aggregated and individual level data will be used in order to evaluate the magnitude of the problem, to determine predictive factors and to develop recommendations for suicide prevention among Australian children under the age of 15 years. As the negative impact of the death of a child extends to include parents, an additional component of the project focuses on the impact of the child’s suicide on the psychosocial functioning of parent survivors.
Chief Investigators: Prof. Diego De Leo, Dr Kairi Kolves
Biannual literature review – Suicide Research: Selected Readings
Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing, Australian Government.
Following the appointment of AISRAP as the National Centre of Excellence in Suicide Prevention by the Department of Health and Ageing, AISRAP has committed to provide a biannual critical literature review outlining recent advances and promising developments in international research in suicide prevention. The main aim of these publications is to collate all newly released publications (research articles, editorials, letters, case reports) that explicitly refer to fatal and/or non-fatal suicidal behaviours and related issues. A particular attention is paid to new promising lines of suicide research that carry potential for practical implications in the Australian context.
Each volume has three distinctive parts - Citation List is a collection of references of all retrieved publications over the preceding 6 months, Recommended Readings represents a selection of research articles of particular significance and their abstracts, while Key Article is a compilation of publications with particular relevance for Australian suicide prevention initiatives. For the latter, written comments detailing methodological strengths and weaknesses and the practical implications are provided.
Chief Investigator: Prof. Diego De Leo
Research staff involved: Ms Jerneja Sveticic
Suicide Trends in At-Risk Territories Study in the Western Pacific Region: The START Study
Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing and World Health Organization.
Evidence from the World Health Organization shows that in 2002, the rate of suicide in the Western Pacific Region was 19/100,000, which is more than 30% higher than the average world rate for the same year (14/100,000) (World Health Organization, 2004). The countries of the Western Pacific Region have significant cultural differences and are at varying stages of social and economic development.
The Suicide Trends in At-Risk Territories study was inspired by AISRAP and initiated by the Western Pacific Regional Office of World Health Organization to develop a greater understanding of the trends of both fatal and non-fatal suicidal behaviour, and to provide an appropriate cross-cultural treatment intervention.
As a Collaborating Centre for World Health Organization, the Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention provides technical support for the project, which has also been endorsed by the International Association for Suicide Prevention. The first stage of the study commenced with a four-day training workshop in March 2006 with twenty nations in attendance. A training and research protocol manual has been developed to assist these countries in conducting the study. This study will provide significant insights into the cultural factors involved in suicidal behaviours not only in the region but also in Australia.
General Management: Dr Wang Xiangdong (Western Pacific Region Office of the World Health Organization)
Chief Investigator: Prof. Diego De Leo
Research staff involved: Ms Allison Millner, Dr Kairi Kolves
Suicide Prevention in Tonga: Address by Professor Diego De Leo and Dr Allison Milner - December 2011
Beyond psychopathology:pathways to suicide in mentally well young adult males
Australian Research Council Discovery Project (2008-2011). Partners include the Queensland Office of the State Coroner and Queensland Health.
The goal of this study is to investigate suicide risk factors among adult males in Australia (25-44 age) with no psychiatric diagnosis. The psychological autopsy (interviews with the next-of-kin of the suicide victims) will be used together with analysis of coronial, police and medical files and compared with a control group of sudden death victims. This study aims to investigate whether there are any differences in the contributing risk factors. It will review their relative influences, in order to develop and implement targeted suicided prevention initiatives beyond those based on a medical/psychiatric treatment paradigm.
Chief Investigator: Prof. Diego De Leo
Research Staff involved: Ms Jerneja Sveticic, Ms Trudi Little
Queensland Suicide Register
Queensland Health (since 1990). Partners include the Queensland State Coroner Office and Coronial Support Unit, Queensland Police Service.
The Queensland Suicide Register, funded by the Queensland Health, is the only comprehensive database of its type in Australia and in the Asia Pacific region, and central to many of AISRAP’s research. The database includes information on all suicides of Queensland residents from 1990 to present, with data obtained from three sources: post-mortem forms, toxicology reports, and Form 1 (including psychological autopsy reports). Psychological autopsy reports are completed by Queensland Police officers in the investigation of possible suicides, following interviews with those close to the deceased, and include information pertaining to psychosocial, behavioural, and demographic data. Form 1 is continually utilised by both AISRAP and the Office of the State Coroner, with latest version adopted in 2007.
All suicide cases in the QSR are classified into one of the following categories: Beyond Reasonable Doubt, Probable, and Possible. The Queensland Suicide Register is the major source of data used in the preparation of the triennial suicide report, the most recent being Suicide in Queensland 2002 to 2004, released in 2006. Publication of the next report, Suicide in Queensland 2005-2007, is anticipated for late 2010.
Some examples of previously conducted research based on the Queensland Suicide Register data include:
- Trends in suicide and suicide methods
- Suicide in the building industry
- Suicide from the Story Bridge
- Suicide and schizophrenia
- Suicide in the Queensland Rail
- Suicides and motor vehicle accidents
- Firearm suicides
- Suicide in opiate users
- Relationship issues and suicides
- Suicide risk in selected occupations
- Suicide in Indigenous populations
Research staff involved: Ms Jerneja Sveticic
Suicide in immigrant populations living in Australia
The Diversity Health Institute and the Transcultural Mental Health Centre - NSW
This project aims to examine risks of suicide in first- and second-generation immigrants in Australia. Component one of the study will calculate the rates of suicide in Australia by COB for first-generation immigrants from 1970’s to current. From the study, we will identify specific suicide risk groups by COB as well as examining the critical timing for the development of suicidality by analysing "years of residence" in Australia.
Component Two of the project aims to calculate the rates of suicide in NSW for second-generation immigrants from 1991 to current. This is the first study in Australia to examine second-generation immigrant suicide.
This project will provide us a better understanding in the prevalence of suicide among immigrants in Australia, including cultural characteristics, in order for us to develop early preventative measures.
Chief Investigator: Prof. Diego De Leo
Research staff involved: Dr Kairi Kolves, Ms Naoko Ide
A mapping exercise of existing suicide prevention programs and services in Queensland
Queensland Health
This project involves the clear identification, review and dissemination of information about all current programs/services which are directed to the prevention of suicide and/or self-harming behaviours. This project aims to facilitate better access to information on various suicide prevention programs/services for our communities. It also identifies linkages and gaps in service provision which are relevant to the implementation of future programs/services to improve the availability of suicide prevention.
Chief Investigator: Prof. Diego De Leo
Research staff involved: Dr Darrel Doessel, Ms Naoko Ide, Ms Urska Arnautovska
The incidence of suicidal behaviours in Indigenous communities in Queensland – evaluation and development of baseline data
Australian Rotary Health Research Fund
The high levels of completed suicides in Indigenous communities, and suggested associated higher levels of non-fatal suicidal behaviours, highlight the need for identification of culturally-appropriate interventions to address these issues. Based in Mackay, the aim of this project is to develop a deeper understanding on perception of non-fatal and fatal suicidal behaviours in this community and of the suicide prevention activities currently in place. This project aims to enhance understanding of self-harm and suicidal behaviours and increase community capacity in implementing effective prevention activities by involving the community in the planning and implementation of the data collection and analysis process.
Chief Investigator: Prof. Diego De Leo
Co-Investigators: Professor Elizabeth Kendall (School of Human Services, Griffith University), Dr Kairi Kolves, Ms Leda Barnett Research Staff involved:Ms Kathy McKay
Mental Experiences and their Relationship to Suicidal Behaviours
The research aims to explore perceptions of the experience of restlessness in people. The objective of the research is to determine whether participants who report high levels of restlessness on a paper and pencil questionnaire also have high scores on measures of mental illness, hopelessness and suicidality.
Chief Investigator: Prof. Diego De Leo
Research staff involved: Dr Katelyn Kerr, Dr Angelo De Gioannis, Mr Andre Bauer, Ms Diane O'Brien